The Role of Holding Medical Students’ National Scientific Olympiads in Medical Education Enhancement: A Narrative Review of Student and Faculty Perspectives

Pouralijan-Amiri, Zeinab; Jafari-Roshan, Samaneh; Mouridpour, Atefeh; Ghaemi-Amiri, Maryam

doi:10.22062/sdme.2025.201275.1589

The Role of Holding Medical Students’ National Scientific Olympiads in Medical Education Enhancement: A Narrative Review of Student and Faculty Perspectives

Document Type : Review

Authors

Zeinab Pouralijan-Amiri ¹

Samaneh Jafari-Roshan ²

Atefeh Mouridpour ³

Maryam Ghaemi-Amiri ⁴

¹ MSc in Midwifery, Education Development Center, Babol University of Medical Science, Babol, Iran

² MSc in Genetics, Education Development Center, Babol University of Medical Science, Babol, Iran

³ MSc in Clinical Biochemistry, Education Development Center, Babol University of Medical Science, Babol, Iran

⁴ PhD in Higher Education Development Planning, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22062/sdme.2025.201275.1589

Abstract

Background: Improving medical education involves various aspects, one of which is increasing student empowerment. The purpose of organizing scientific Olympiads is to prepare medical students to solve problems in a competitive environment.
Objectives: Therefore, this study examines the role of scientific Olympiads in improving medical education.
Methods: In this review, relevant articles were identified through an internet search of international databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, as well as Persian databases such as SID and Magiran. The search employed a combination of keywords such as 'Medical education,' 'Scientific Olympiad,' 'Medical students,' etc. A total of 47 studies were obtained. After excluding 38 studies that did not meet the inclusion criteria, the remaining 9 studies were reviewed.
Results: After reviewing the articles, the views of students and faculty were assessed. Overall, the views were categorized into two parts: positive and negative. Some of the positive views included improving problem-solving skills, reasoning, and creativity, developing relationships between universities and students, and creating a healthy academic competition environment. Negative views included uninterested students, memorizing some questions, and a disproportionate volume of resources concerning study opportunities, among others.
Conclusion: The results showed that holding scientific Olympiads for medical students in the country can improve medical education. The overall performance of scientific Olympiads was satisfactory from the perspective of students and faculty. On the other hand, paying attention to weaknesses and attempting to eliminate them may be a suitable approach to achieving the goals of medical education.

Highlights

Zeinab Pouralijan-Amiri: (Google Scholar) (PubMed)

Samaneh Jafari-Roshan: (Google Scholar) (PubMed)

Atefeh Mouridpour: (Google Scholar) (PubMed)

Maryam Ghaemi-Amiri: (Google Scholar) (PubMed)

Keywords

Scientific Olympiad

Medical Students

Medical Education

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