Guidance and Counseling Requirements of the Iranian Medical Sciences Students

Abstract

Introduction: Changes in living conditions in modern times have led to the continuously evolving needs of people, especially students at institutions of higher education. Different needs require appropriate guidance and counseling, and improving counseling services for students necessitates assessing their problems and demands. This study aimed to investigate the guidance and counseling needs of students at Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study from 2020-2022, 598 students of Semnan University of Medical Sciences (Semnan, Iran) were selected using a multi-stage method. The data collection tool was a 34-item questionnaire assessing students' guidance and counseling needs across five domains: personal growth and development, career needs, educational needs, family and marriage, and emotional/psychological needs. Students specified their level of need for each item as "need it very much" (4), "need it to some extent" (3), "need it a little" (2) or "don't need it" (1). Results: Career counseling and personal growth and development were identified as the most essential counseling needs for students. These two areas were the most necessary across both genders, educational levels, faculties, and marital statuses. The most important specific needs were "focusing the senses" for personal growth and development, "familiarity with job opportunities" for career needs, "time management" for educational needs, "dealing with life problems" for family/marital needs, and "coping with life stress" for emotional/psychological needs. Conclusion: The findings showed career counseling and personal growth and development needs as the foremost counseling needs for students. Thus, implementing extracurricular workshops by experienced professors in specialized fields could address these requirements and reduce student concerns. While facilitating academic progress, such training prepares students for post-graduation roles in society.