title: Exploring the practical themes for medical education social accountability in Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this paper is to explore themes for enhancing socially accountability in medical education.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Medical education in Iran experience new challenges due to the enormous influence of changes in technology, development of new methods of teaching and learning, student requirements, patient management, financial credit constraints, and social and economic developments. For responding to these, use of strategic thinking in order to make appropriate decisions is the only solution. Strategic plans need to formulate practical guides which can help accountable to people's reasonable expectations.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this qualitative study, along with the 14(th)national conference on Medical Education in Iran, the opinions of experts were obtained during seven expert panels' group discussions, each lasting four hours and including 10 participants. Data were collected by audiotapes, which were then transcribed. Data analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach. Peer and member checking during analysis and data triangulation from other recent studies were used to increase the findings' trustworthiness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among more than hundred meaning units groups identified the following eight main themes as affecting the social accountable medical education in Iran: organization of responsive education councils; development of community based courses; development in field training; organization of educational processes; homogeneity in educational rules and regulations; budget management, educational outcomes; educational programs in departments and groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study have found the main themes that might affecting social accountable medical education in Iran, where Iranian policymakers should consider those when plan to make changes in medical education and could potentially adopt the proven useful policies and strategies of other countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Education, School of Medical Education, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Soleiman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmady
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Education, School of Medical Education, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akbari Lakeh
keywords: Expert panel discussion; Practical themes; Socially accountable medical education