Curriculum review and redesign of internship programs in graduate medical library and information science

Abstract

Introduction: The professional landscape of Medical Library and Information Science (MLIS) has undergone significant transformation, extending beyond traditional libraries to encompass information management, research support, clinical practice, technological innovation, and virtual environments. Revising the MLIS curriculum, particularly the internship program, is essential to meet contemporary professional and societal demands. This study aimed to revise the MLIS internship curriculum based on current field requirements. Method: This mixed-method study included two phases. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-developed questionnaire was administered through a nationwide 360-degree survey to MLIS students, graduates, faculty members, and internship supervisors (December 2023–February 2024). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS version 28. In the qualitative phase, three focus group discussions were held with 16 educational policymakers, guided by the Krueger and Casey framework. Thematic analysis was performed to identify key domains and formulate a comprehensive internship model. Results: Participants strongly agreed that internship bridges academic education and professional practice. High agreement supported developing clinical-medical librarianship and evidence-based practice for Master’s students (mean: 4.59±0.67) and executive, managerial, and policymaking roles for Ph.D. students (mean: 4.59±0.74). Students endorsed expanding internship sites (mean: 4.33±0.78) and implementing multi-site internship experiences (mean: 4.40±0.73). Qualitative findings supported a three-phase internship across four domains: clinical-medical, technology and communication, research, and traditional libraries/information centers. Conclusion: A persistent gap exists between practical training and real-world professional needs. Addressing this gap requires fundamental revision of internship curriculum, including detailed guidelines, diverse practical opportunities, and supportive environments to effectively prepare students for academic progression and professional success. © 2026 The Author(s); Published by Iran University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source.