Evaluating ambulatory care training in Firoozgar hospital based on Iranian national standards of undergraduate medical education

    Background: In this study, ambulatory care training in Firoozgar hospital was evaluated based on Iranian national standards of undergraduate medical education related to ambulatory education using Baldrige Excellence Model. Moreover, some suggestions were offered to promote education quality in the current condition of ambulatory education in Firoozgar hospital and national standards using the gap analysis method.    Methods: This descriptive analytic study was a kind of evaluation research performed using the standard check lists published by the office of undergraduate medical education council. Data were collected through surveying documents, interviewing, and observing the processes based on the Baldrige Excellence Model.  After confirming the validity and reliability of the check lists, we evaluated the establishment level of the national standards of undergraduate medical education in the clinics of this hospital in the 4 following domains:  educational program, evaluation, training and research resources, and faculty members. Data were analyzed according to the national standards of undergraduate medical education related to ambulatory education and the Baldrige table for scoring. Finally, the quality level of the current condition was determined as very appropriate, appropriate, medium, weak, and very weak.    Results: In domains of educational program 62%, in evaluation 48%, in training and research resources 46%, in faculty members 68%, and in overall ratio, 56% of the standards were appropriate.    Conclusion: The most successful domains were educational program and faculty members, but evaluation and training and research resources domains had a medium performance. Some domains and indicators were determined as weak and their quality needed to be improved, so it is suggested to provide the necessary facilities and improvements by attending to the quality level of the national standards of ambulatory education.