The establishment of laboratories used in medical faculty education: A qualitative research

One of the essential prerequisites for delivering high-quality education in medical schools is the proper establishment of educational laboratories. This study aims to determine the minimum infrastructure, equipment, and standards required for the establishment of such laboratories by drawing upon the experiences of faculty members involved in the process. This research was conducted using qualitative study design. Semi-structured interviews were held with ten faculty members who had prior experience in laboratory setup. Data were analyzed through content analysis. The study was approved by the Mardin Artuklu University non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee (decision no: 2024/4-5, date: 16.04.2023). The participants included one professor, two associate professors, and seven assistant professors, with a mean age of 45.2 years. Participants emphasized the importance of long-term planning for laboratory infrastructure and highlighted the need for early procurement of equipment and consumables. A lack of standardized guidelines for laboratory setup was a recurrent theme across interviews. Laboratory establishment is a critical component that directly affects the quality of medical education. The absence of sufficient institutional knowledge and guidance in this area poses significant challenges. This study contributes to the literature by presenting practical insights based on the experiences of faculty members and may serve as a reference for future laboratory planning in medical education.