Evaluating the academic advisors' communication skills according to the students living in dormitory

BACKGROUND: As revealed by previous research studies, stress, lack of problem-solving ability, and weakness may influence the academic performance of students who study medicine or relevant fields. It is necessary to provide students with consultation and academic advising to ensure their support and welfare. OBJECTIVES: The present study was carried out to evaluate the academic advisors' communication abilities and skills based on the views of the students living in the dormitory of North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran. METHODS: The present analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on 155 dormitory-living students who were majoring in medicine, nursing and midwifery, and health. The required data were collected using a 17-item research-made questionnaire which evaluated the academic advisors' communication skills in “oral and written,” “accepting and giving feedback,” “understanding others,” “being a good listener,” and “effectiveness” fields. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficient test were utilized to analyze the collected data. RESULTS: In the students' opinion, as revealed by the results of the present study, the academic advisors gained the lowest scores in “oral and written” (8.33 ± 1.58) field and the highest scores in “accepting and giving feedback” (20.78 ± 9.36) and “understanding others” (22.73 ± 9.8) fields. CONCLUSION: The students believed that the academic advisors had the lowest ability in “oral and written” field; therefore, paid more attention should be paid to their communication skills, and their “oral and written” skills should be evaluated.