The viewpoints of medical sciences wealth creators regarding the wealth creation strategies and path in medical sciences universities

Abstract

Background:
In the recent years, the wealth creation of educational institutions has attracted an enormous attention in different countries. Exploring experiences of these institutes help to improve the wealth creation of universities. In this regard, this study was an attempt to explain the viewpoints of the wealth creators of medical sciences regarding wealth creation strategies and define the general path of wealth creation in medical sciences universities.

Materials and methods:
This qualitative study was conducted at Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, in 2021. Participants were the experienced knowledgeable wealth creation experts. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted to reach data saturation. Interview guided questions were about strategies and paths of wealth creation followed by probing questions. Data were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis.

Results:
Data analysis showed that the most important strategies were related to nine extracted categories of "the productions", "contracts and relations", revising, predicting and foresight" -, "education", "research", "healthcare services", " interdisciplinary fields between Information Technology (IT) and health-care", " saving and maintenance", and "altering the procedure of the wealth accelerator centers." In general, wealth creation path in medical sciences includes six main categories.

Conclusions:
The result of this study provide an opportunity for educational policy-makers and authorities to improve wealth creation in medical universities. Especially, accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic, to consider the interdisciplinary fields between IT and health-care and integrating technology to the various categories of medical sciences are absolute needs.

Full text

© 2022 Journal of Education and Health Promotion | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow 1
The viewpoints of medical sciences
wealth creators regarding the wealth
creation strategies and path in medical
sciences universities
Atefeh Zabihi Zazoly, Shoaleh Bigdeli, Zohreh Sohrabi
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: In the recent years, the wealth creation of educational institutions has attracted an
enormous attention in different countries. Exploring experiences of these institutes help to improve the
wealth creation of universities. In this regard, this study was an attempt to explain the viewpoints of
the wealth creators of medical sciences regarding wealth creation strategies and dene the general
path of wealth creation in medical sciences universities.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted at Iran University of Medical
Sciences, Tehran, Iran, in 2021. Participants were the experienced knowledgeable wealth creation
experts. Fourteen semi‑structured interviews were conducted to reach data saturation. Interview
guided questions were about strategies and paths of wealth creation followed by probing questions.
Data were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS: Data analysis showed that the most important strategies were related to nine extracted
categories of “the productions”, “contracts and relations”, revising, predicting and foresight” ‑,
“education”, “research”, “healthcare services”, “ interdisciplinary fields between Information
Technology (IT) and health‑care”, “ saving and maintenance”, and “altering the procedure of the
wealth accelerator centers.” In general, wealth creation path in medical sciences includes six main
categories.
CONCLUSIONS: The result of this study provide an opportunity for educational policy‑makers
and authorities to improve wealth creation in medical universities. Especially, accentuated by the
COVID‑19 pandemic, to consider the interdisciplinary elds between IT and health‑care and integrating
technology to the various categories of medical sciences are absolute needs.
Keywords:
Economic status, economics, education, health care, medical, medicine, universities
Introduction
Nowadays, universities are transforming,
and the rst, second, third, and even
the fourth and fth academic generation
of universities are focus of attention.
The first‑generation of universities are
recognized as knowledge‑based, and the
second generation as the research‑based.[1]
The third‑generation concept is proposed
by Wissema in 2009.[2] Accordingly, a
university is the creator of wealth and a
center for production, transmission, and
implementation of the innovations while
continuing the conventional performance
of regular universities.[1] This concept
emphasized the fundamental role of
universities in economic competition and
the sustainability of economic growth.[3]
Thus, the universities are greatly required
to make changes in their content, structure,
governance, and strategy to establish
Address for
correspondence:
Dr. Zohreh Sohrabi,
Center for Educational
Research in Medical
Sciences, Department
of Medical Education,
School of Medicine, Iran
University of Medical
Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
E-mail: sohrabi.z@
outlook.com
Received: 04-07-2021
Accepted: 04-08-2021
Published: 28-04-2022
Center for Educational
Research in Medical
Sciences (CERMS),
Department of Medical
Education, School of
Medicine, Iran University
of Medical Sciences,
Tehran, Iran
Original Article
Access this article online
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Website:
www.jehp.net
DOI:
10.4103/jehp.jehp_978_21
How to cite this article: Zazoly AZ, Bigdeli S,
Sohrabi Z. The viewpoints of medical sciences wealth
creators regarding the wealth creation strategies and
path in medical sciences universities. J Edu Health
Promot 2022;11:131.
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Zazoly, et al.: Wealth creation strategies and path in medical sciences universities
2 Journal of Education and Health Promotion | Volume 11 | April 2022
relations and increase mutual interactions. More, to
receive or create wealth, universities are supposed to use
their specialties and various characteristics. Accordingly,
different researches are conducted to examine the
structure of the third‑generation universities; for
example, Ghorbani et al. recognized two macro and
micro structural requirements for these universities.[2]
Simha reports that these universities are required to
obtain nancial resources to maintain their eminence
in research[4]. The importance of university nancial
resources and their key role in promotion of quality
of education were also emphasized in some of studies.
As an example, Pyke asserts that inadequate nancial
resources may lead to overcrowded classrooms; and,
decreased quality of education.[4]
In addition, according the academic or nonacademic
studies the generation universities mostly had a general
approach regarding wealth creation. Also, various
qualitative and quantitative factors were observed
to create wealth, which are sometimes difcult to be
separated in practice.[5] In other words, after merging
the findings, three different approaches of wealth
creation are detected: (1) direct, (2) indirect, and (3)
integrated (combined). In the direct approach, the
strategies directly bring about wealth creation. In
the indirect approach, the strategies will have the
empowerment and infrastructure facets, facilitating
wealth creation. Seeking and creating talented
employees, utilizing self‑directed and interactive
learning strategies, as well as internships in the
industry are examples in these strategies.[6] In the
integrated (combined) approach, the strategies include
both empowerment and infrastructure facets, as well
as wealth creation, independently.
Considering the structure, responsibilities, and specic
characteristics of the new generation of universities as
accountable institution, medical sciences universities are
no exception. Furthermore, paying attention to wealth
creation under the COVID‑19 pandemic has a paramount
importance. Because medical sciences universities have
been affected by it similar to or even more than other
institutions; on the one hand, this disease has imposed
considerable nancial costs on the communities; and, on
the other hand, incomes and deployment of resources
has decreased drastically.[7]
What distinguishes the purpose of the current study
is its particular emphasis on determining the the
wealth‑creation strategies and path in medical sciences
university according to the experiences of individuals
who have already passed this path and sometimes
endured hardships and failures to achieve success. In
this study, the path refers to the steps that they passed.
Sharing these kinds of views and experiences, especially
those related to the COVID‑19 pandemic, provided an
opportunity for all beneciaries to learn from experiences
of each other.
Hence, the aim of this study was to explain the viewpoints
of the medical sciences wealth creators regarding wealth
creation strategies and wealth creation general path on
the basis of their experiences.
Materials and Methods
Study design and setting
For the purposes of this study, conventional qualitative
content analysis, as a exible method was used to collect
and analyze the data.[8] Data collection method was
semi‑structured interviews.
After securing the permission of the ethics
committee of Iran University of Medical Sciences
(IR.IUMS.REC.1398.332) and informed consent of the
study participants, the study was conducted from July
to December 2021.
Study participants and sampling
The experts were selected by purposive sampling
continued by consecutive sampling, using the snowball
method. Besides, this study considered maximum
variation in terms of eld of study, area of expertise,
work experience and location of the workplace of the
participants. The inclusion criteria were to be expert in
wealth creation, being well‑ experienced, and acquainted
with the key elements of wealth creation and being a
business owners in medical sciences.
Data collection tool and technique
Semi‑structured interviews were conducted to meet
the purpose of the study. Because of the COVID‑19
pandemic and in order to follow the health protocols for
COVID‑19 prevention, the interviews were conducted
online through Skype and WhatsApp (video call) with
previous arrangements and permissions. The average
time of interviews was 30to40 minutes. An information
sheet was sent to the participants through e‑mail or
WhatsApp before the interviews started; and, their
informed consent was secured. The interview questions
were designed according to the study purpose, the
current literature, and following knowledgeable
expert consultant recommendations. The participants’
questions and their concerns and ambiguities were
responded thoroughly. The interviews and memos
were recorded simultaneously. Finally, the interviews
were transcribed verbatim and checked by each
participant (member ‑check). Then, the confirmed
interviews were analyzed. The interview continued till
data saturation, when no new data emerged. [Table 1].

Zazoly, et al.: Wealth creation strategies and path in medical sciences universities
Journal of Education and Health Promotion | Volume 11 | April 2022 3
Data analysis
Data analysis was performed by the conventional
qualitative content analysis proposed by Hsieh
and Shannon.[9] At the end of each interview, it was
transcribed verbatim on the Word software (A.Z).
Afterwards, to extract each interview general and major
concepts, the interview text was read and re‑read by two
independent researchers (Z.S & A.Z). Then, meaning
units and initial codes were extracted and duplicate
codes were deleted and the nal codes were imported
into an Excel sheet. The codes with similar concepts
were categorized in a more general classification,
and the sub‑categories were formed. Ultimately, after
classication of similar sub‑categories with each other,
categories emerged (Z.S & A.Z). The emerged codes,
sub‑categories and categories and the original transcripts
were checked by the third researcher (Sh.B) for validation
and conrmation of the consistency of the ndings or
resolving inconsistencies, if there was any.
The Lincoln and Guba criteria were used to ensure
the data credibility, confirmability, dependability
and transferability of the results. In this regard, for
the purposes of this study, the following points were
considered:
• Allocating adequate time to conduct the interviews.
• Recording the data with ultimate accuracy.
• Gathering and analyzing the data simultaneously.
• Conrming the transcripts and extracted codes by
the study participants (Member Check).
• Conrming the transcripts and extracted codes by an
expert colleague (Peer Check).
• Using appropriate sampling method
(maximum variation).
Results
The results are presented in three subheadings which are:
Demographic characteristics, General wealth creation
strategies and Wealth‑creation path in medical sciences
universities.
Demographic characteristics
A total number of 14 interviews (9 male and 5 female
participants) were conducted. All of the study
participants had wealth creation experience. Seven
individuals had management experience. While
others, had work experience in research, consultation,
industrial cooperation, knowledge‑based companies,
and teaching at national and international levels. The
study participants were from Iran, Shahid Beheshti,
Shiraz, Kerman, Mazandaran, and Esfarayen faculties
of Medical Sciences, and the Iran Vice‑Presidency for
Science and Technology, and a majority of them (n = 11)
were faculty members (Professor: 1, Associate professor:
1, Assistant professor: 8, Instructor: 1) [Table 2].
The wealth creation general strategies
The interview results indicated that there are various
wealth creation strategies in medical sciences universities.
In this regard, nine categories and a number of
sub‑categories were emerged [Table 3].
Sample excerpts from the interviews:
A. ”For example, in the realm of mental issues, the psychiatrists
or most of the medical sciences universities, could focus
on mental health. The factories and companies imposing
heavier workloads can sign contracts with universities
on training and giving consultation to their members.
Therefore, one way to create wealth is conrmation of
the contracts with the industries and different groups for
educational and consultation services. “
B. “The area currently being discussed in the medical sciences
university that could be more elaborated is the technology
area; for example, various technologies in different medical
elds and equipment, particularly in Health Information
Table 1: Interview’s and probing questions
The interview’s questions were as follows:
What are the strategies of wealth creation in Medical Sciences
Universities?
Given the condition caused by COVID‑19, in medical sciences
universities which of the wealth creation strategies seems
operational?
To the best of your knowledge and experiences, how is the wealth
creation path in Medical Sciences Universities?
The following probing questions were asked:
What solutions have worked for you?
What route have you taken?
Please give an example
Please support/ provide evidence for what you said.
Table 2: Demographic characteristics of the study’s
participants
Participant
number
Gender Academic
status
Are of expertise
P1 Female Faculty member Nanotechnology
P2 Male Faculty member Professional management of
business
P3 Male Nonfaculty
member
Social medicine specialist
P4 Male Faculty member Medical education
P5 Male Faculty member Pharmacognosy specialist
P6 Female Faculty member Medical education
P7 Male Nonfaculty
member
Higher education
P8 Male Faculty member Education management
P9 Female Nonfaculty
member
Financial management
P10 Female Faculty member Medical education
P11 Male Faculty member Health economy
P12 Male Faculty member Nuclear medicine specialist
P13 Female Faculty member Health information
management and technology
P14 Male Faculty member Health information
management and technology

Zazoly, et al.: Wealth creation strategies and path in medical sciences universities
4 Journal of Education and Health Promotion | Volume 11 | April 2022
Technology, such as systems, applications.,…”
C. “In tele‑health, there is an intense open area called
telemedicine… Monetization can take place inside the
country and worldwide. As indicated in the researches,
a great deal of wealth is transferring towards tele‑health
and «tele» elds, such as telemedicine, tele care, etc., The
universities can contribute to this eld in the realm of
wealth creation.”
D. “The other item is the methods being utilized in many top
universities, inviting risk‑taking investors. Look, we have
Table 3: The wealth creation general strategies under
the COVID‑19 condition
Categories Sub‑Categories
Productions Manufacturing various drugs and biotechnology
Manufacturing medical equipment
Manufacturing vaccine
Manufacturing the required hygienic tools for
people
Manufacturing medicinal plants
Contracts and
Relationships
Relationship between universities and state/city
development planning councils
Communication with the agriculture faculty for
medicinal cultivations and pesticides
Concluding contract with banks to nance
Sharing the universities’ clinical and nonclinical
spaces in a contract; such as laboratory, library,
and university conference hall spaces
Concluding contract with industries and
different organizations for the educational and
consultation services
Concluding contract with the graduates to
provide services under the university contract
Research contracts
Interdisciplinary relationship
Communication with the entrepreneur and
prosperous universities
Inviting the risk‑taking investors
Making the university open to the benefactors,
investors, entrepreneurs, and inspiring people
Review, forecast,
and forethought
Reorganizing the way of providing health‑care
services of the cities and rural
Revising the strategic and operational plans
given the circumstances
Predicting the required products of the country
and forethought
Predicting e global turnover in the realm of
pharmaceutics over the course of subsequent
few years
Education Manufacturing educational applications for
patients (such as diabetics
Digitalizing education and the distance
education
Online training for the patients
Distance education for the foreign students
Conducting online courses to teach productivity,
creativity, and entrepreneurship
Conducting various online workshops
Establishing international and virtual affairs
departments for a university
Conducting online single‑cycle courses
Preparing educational contents for different
organizations
Designing online general educational courses
Research Conducting online meetings in hospital and
participating the innovative students to solve
hospital‑related issues
Extracting needs based on diseases for each
context
Implementing applied plans and theses based
on the demands
Table 3: Contd...
Categories Sub‑Categories
Research Considering university as the R and D sector of
the various companies
Concentrating on the interdisciplinary plans
Implementing commercial researches in
medicine
Conducting the combinatorial chemistry projects
Conducting the human being genome projects
Conducting the medical technology projects
Conducting the nutritional projects
Utilizing the small commercial projects
Health care
services
Recruiting auxiliary nurses in the home‑care
sector
Dispatching the students and professors to the
neighboring (surrounding) nations in order to
clinical services
Providing mental health‑care services for the
factories and other organizations
Interdisciplinary
elds between IT
and health‑care
Making use of the technology in treatment and
drug manufacturing
Conducting tele health and “tele”
elds (telecare, telemedicine, …)
Distributing digital health technologies
Therapeutic smartening up and using articial
intelligence
Sharing health information technology such as
the systems, applications, and electronic health
prole
Using ICT in home‑care and self‑care services
Savings and
maintenance
Employing nancial specialists for nancial and
investment consulting
Making efforts to enhance the nancial and
technical efciency of the medical sciences
universities’ executive systems, and therefore, to
raise the time and nancial productivity
Organizing the existing resources to enhance
the productivity and economization
Changing the
procedure of the
wealth accelerator
centers
Conducting the wealth‑creator startups and
virtual technological conferences to encourage
the members to virtually participate in these
elds
Establishing the knowledge enterprises to
change the treatment, research, and production
methodology by the medical specialist
Presenting knowledge enterprises in the
university laboratories
Conducting health‑care technologies startups
ICT=Information and communication technology, R and D=Research and
development, IT=Information technology
Contd...

Zazoly, et al.: Wealth creation strategies and path in medical sciences universities
Journal of Education and Health Promotion | Volume 11 | April 2022 5
a topic that is mostly discussed in startups. called angels or
risk‑taking investors. Angels are great supporters. These
individuals support innovative plans. “
A. “What is university perspective? In other word, a
university capability to foresee the next few years is
important. This matter is really important. For example,
say, I want to distribute a medicine in the world for another
5 years with a turnover of billions of dollars. University
graduates should go to the banks and Investment sources…
banks should provide nancial support…”
E. “All of these should lead to money‑making: establishing an
alumni database. The universities should have an alumni
database; and, should know how many graduates there are
and where the graduates work. “
F. “The relationship between universities and councils
of provincial/urban development planning should be
established so that they can observe the capacities at the
level of a province or state; as an illustration, various
universities of Mazandaran can conduct a meeting, to
talk about the cultivation type, having the medicinal
cultivations, and solving the pesticides usage.”
G. “The second area is the research. Practical dissertations
will reduce costs and increase productivity when they are
product‑based…assume that a Nanoscience or chemistry
student should know whether he/she is accountable for
the services provided by the university or the community;
therefore, he/she selects and executes her dissertation
based on that topic, and as a result, the problem of
entrepreneurship and wealth creation is solved….”
Wealth‑creation path in medical sciences
Data analysis indicated that the wealth‑creation path of
medical sciences universities generally consists of six
main categories. [Table 4].
Sample excerpts from interviews:
A: “For example, what I did was that I rst tried to explore
the needs of community. I mean, I went to the hospitals
in order to understand the needs. Then, I gured out
what the problem is and what are the problems that an
optometrist [or other specialists] face. Since my specialty is
Medical Nanotechnology, I am talking about my specialty.
I went to the hospitals to nd out what problems an
optometrist has that can be solved by nanotechnology. [Or]
What problem a pulmonologist has; therefore, I extracted
the needs [of specialists] from the hospitals. The needs that
might be taken as granted for others in other settings….
Accordingly, I was able to consider the issues that seem
literally missed, or act as a threat or an opportunity. So, I
detected the needs.”
D: “The product that I emphasized on was money making, not
only for myself, but for most of other parts of the community
to solve their problems in this era of Coronavirus outbreak.
Thus, in addition to money making, I feel good due to
being able to solve a problem. I think such a feeling is so
valuable because others enjoy the happy‑ending results. The
enjoyment of being employed is at a high level. The feedback
of children (whose problems are solved by this method) and
the families (whose concerns are addressed), indicate that
we have taken a step forward in our specialties.”
E: “We make a change for which most of people might not be
convenient to accept; or, in some cases, they are reluctant
to accept these changes. Therefore, we have to see how much
Table 4: Wealth creation pathway in medical sciences
Theme Sub‑theme
Setting goals for wealth
creation
Value creation
Prevention and promotion of
community’s health
Promoting the quality of life
Adding nancial value
Protability
Raising the stakeholders’ wage
Creating nancial resources
Self‑sufciency
Self‑esteem
Culturalization
Earning the skills
Applied knowledge
Social accountability
Where we are and what
facilities we have
The Attending hospitals
Assessing needs
Identifying the strengths and
weaknesses
Identifying the opportunities
Identifying the threats and risks
Conducting meetings in hospital in the
presence of innovative students to solve
hospital problems
Considering the community’s problems
and creating wealth altogether
Identifying solvable problems through
the related specialized eld
Where we are headed to Identifying rational vision and mission
based on the facilities
Assessing labor market
assessment (customer acquisition)
Communicating with food and drug
organization
Communicating with hospitals and
shopping centers
Merging information related to the
market and demand
Conducting feasibility studies and
assessing technical and economic
justication of products
Planning for this path Identifying the components and stages
of the work
Calculating the cost‑benet/effectiveness
Examining the change
capacity
Identifying the people’s resilience
Managing change
Determining the leadership strategies
Products manufacturing Fostering particular specialties
Providing the services leading to wealth
creation
Creating hardware or software products

Zazoly, et al.: Wealth creation strategies and path in medical sciences universities
6 Journal of Education and Health Promotion | Volume 11 | April 2022
capacity there is for a change. In other words, we should
handle them.”
F: “We do not necessarily have to look for big changes and
issues. Look, the problems are much slighter than we
assume. If we want to think big, an entrepreneur university
is the one that can solve very insignicant, though effective,
problems.”
H: “In many cases we look at the nancial concept of wealth.
in some cases, wealth of universities is cultural wealth. in
some cases, self‑esteem is considered as wealth. or in some,
it is the acquisition of applied knowledge, so that one we
can act accordingly. skills can be considered as wealth.
these must be taken into account.”
N: “Because of being attentive to health, a medical sciences
university is different from the technical or humanities
universities. When a medical sciences university is able
to prevent and improve the health level and the quality
of life, this is a type of wealth. It can even be turned into
money, but it is difcult. By promoting a medical sciences
university, the government will denitely spend less costs.
All of these will have economic added value and can be
turned into money.”
Discussion
The current study conducted to explain the viewpoints
of the wealth creators of medical sciences regarding
wealth creation strategies and the general path of wealth
creation in medical sciences universities.
The findings showed that we can concentrate on
nine categories for wealth creation that include “the
productions”, “contracts and relations”, “revising,
predicting and foresight”, “interdisciplinary fields
between IT and health‑care”, “research”, “education”,
“healthcare services”, “saving and maintenance”
and “altering the procedures of wealth accelerator
centers”. Most of the mentioned subcategories are in
correspondence with other studies [9‑11]. However, what
is highlighted in the current study is concentrating on
the interdisciplinary elds between IT and Health and
integrating technology to the various elds of medical
sciences in the COVID‑19 pandemic.
As an example, the importance of education for wealth
creation was considered by Birasnav et al., Mitra et al., Braak
and Lewin, Blackmore et al. [6, 10‑12]. Due to its important role
in the community, similar to empowerment, knowledge
generation and human capital creation, education
is the center of attention in terms of wealth creation.
Nevertheless, according to the participants’ claims in the
pandemics, such as COVID‑19 pandemic, integrating
education with technology, and using distance and online
modes for teaching and learning are required more than
usual. In these cases, producing e‑educational products
and providing e‑services will create wealth. More, the
sub‑categories found in this research were emphasized
in Siyanbola et al. study [13].
Some of the studies indicate that the options such as
developing novel therapeutic drugs and the discoveries
associated with medical diagnosis and technologies can
create wealth.[14] This conrms the treatment and care
category of the current study that is inuenced by the
COVID‑19 pandemic. It seems that from the viewpoints
of the participants of the current study in the COVID‑19
pandemic, issues such as therapeutic tourism cannot
create wealth as much as before, since with respect to the
travel bans and/or travel restrictions, between countries
or even cities and states of a country, attracting foreign
patients is focused less. However, providing services in
elds such as nursing and psychiatry, particularly for
companies and different industries, could be benecial.
In addition to the fact that we should be cautious to this
point and do not neglect moral and ethical considerations
of health as a wealth; because, according to the other
studies, promoting community health is also dened
as wealth creation and is of a great value in medical
sciences.[15]
According to this study, contracts and relationships as
well as productions are two other categories for wealth
creation in medical sciences. Sellés et al. also stated that
there must be a strong relationship between companies
and universities.[3] According to the ndings of this
study, to gain income, there is a need to change the
manner of wealth creation accelerator centers. It seems
that the saving and maintenance of the existing resources
and wealth have a signicant importance, more than
before.
The categories of organizational rules and strategies,
leadership and management, supervision and
assessment had been identified in the Fatima
study.[16] Nevertheless, according to the ndings of the
present study, these categories could be considered
from another perspective and be entitled as “revising,
predicting and foresight”.
Moreover, the findings of this study indicated that
according to the viewpoint and experiences of wealth
creators, six main categories and 25 sub‑categories
were identied for the wealth creation path. Despite
the fact that this is a general path that is adaptable to
diverse conditions, examining these categories and
sub‑categories will demonstrate that the major difference
in wealth creation path of medical sciences universities
is based on the type of the services rendered; especially
health services, and the customers. In other words, the
wealth creation path in medical sciences universities has
its own unique form, which stems from its nature and
existential philosophy. Medical sciences universities

Zazoly, et al.: Wealth creation strategies and path in medical sciences universities
Journal of Education and Health Promotion | Volume 11 | April 2022 7
should adapt their various activities, education, research,
and service, to prioritize the health needs and challenges
of societies and be accountable to them.[17,18]
In regard to the category of “setting goals for wealth
creation”, a vast majority of participants stated that due
to the specic nature of medical sciences, the wealth
creation goals and tasks and activities of the medical
sciences universities must be determined. In addition,
they believe that in medical sciences, the material and
spiritual goals of wealth creation must be taken into
account, and the university must be benecial to the
community. In some studies, health and prevention as
well as promotion of community health are considered
as a goal and wealth for medical sciences universities.[19,20]
Further, a vast of the issues related to the category of
“where we are and what facilities we have” is focused
on hospitals and their necessities. Therefore, it is specic
to medical sciences universities. The category of “where
we want to be” is mainly concentrated on determining
a prospective view and marketing of a university, and
examining the possibilities that somehow depicts creating
a strategic and operational plan for organizations.
According to the current study, Categories of “planning
for this path”, “examining the capacity of change”, and
“products manufacturing” are the next categories of
the wealth creation path in medical sciences. Ismail
and Sidek et al. study emphasized issues such as
university facilities and support, commercialization
and marketing, and the commercial products.[21] Also,
Sung and Kim study showed that change management
factors have a positive effect on innovative behaviors
and organizational innovation.[22]
In this study, while identifying the strategy of wealth
creation in medical sciences universities, the path of
wealth creation was also depicted that lls the gap
of the current studies. Also, wealth creation path
was determined on the basis of the interviews with
experienced people who have already passed this path.
Another noteworthy point in this study is its tness to
the roles and responsibilities of medical universities that
helped improve the quality of rendering medical services
while creating wealth. It can be reected in the ndings
related to strategies, such as production, education and
research sub‑categories, and total ndings of the path
to wealth creation.
Conclusion
In this study, both strategies and the path of wealth
creation in medical sciences universities were determined.
The ndings could be used as an advantageous guide for
wealth creators of medical sciences, especially the novice.
The participants had more emphasis on advantages
of technologies in wealth creation in the COVID‑19
pandemic. Thereby, it is recommended that the industry
collaboration centers or entrepreneurship units of
universities consider this matter in making decisions and
planning to develop academicians (professors, students,
graduates, etc.) via technology development programs
Limitation and recommendation
Although, the participants were selected from different
Iranian universities, the present study was only
conducted in one country. Therefore, further studies
are suggested to collect successful experiences of
several countries about wealth creation of medical
sciences universities. Therefore, this limitation could
be addressed and used to guide the future researches.
Ethical considerations
This research is approved by Iran university of Medical
Sciences Research Deputy, Tehran, Iran (ethics code:
IR.IUMS.FMD.REC.1398.332). After coordinating with
the participants and sending the information sheet to all
the study participants, their informed written consent
was secured. The research was in accordance with the
Declaration of Helsinki.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Iran University of Medical
Sciences Research Deputy, and the participants of
the study who devoted their time and thoughtful
comments and shared their lived experiences to make
this research possible. This research is part of the PhD
thesis (design code: 98‑2‑4‑14293) that approved by Iran
university of Medical Sciences Research Deputy, Tehran,
Iran (ethics code: IR.IUMS.FMD.REC.1398.332).
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conicts of interest
There are no conicts of interest.
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