Background & Objective: Little attention has been paid to generating systematic evidence-based qualitative approaches to effective education. This study aimed to explore postgraduate students' and mentors' view points, experiences and perceptions about effective education and its related factors in Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Methods: In this qualitative study, using content analysis method and purposive sampling, 32 postgraduate students and 7 mentors were recruited. An interview guide was used to collect data through focus groups via in-depth interviews. After obtaining verbal informed consent, data were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using content analysis method. To ensure validity of the data, the acceptability and confirmability criteria were utilized. Results: Two main themes were extracted from the viewpoint of postgraduate students and the mentors, the direct and indirect factors related to effective education. Direct factors included the factors related to student, mentor, educational environment and motivation. Indirect factors were national educational system, evaluation system for students and economic factors. Conclusion: Both postgraduate students and mentors believe that effective education is a complex issue and macro-factors such as educational system and micro-ones such as mentors, and students, characteristics are important. In addition, there is inconsistency in students' and the mentors' perception about the roles of the other one; mentors believe that this is the responsibility of the students to learn and be self-motivated, while the students mentione that this is mainly the mentor' responsibility. This is an important topic which should be considered for planning effective education. Key Words: Effective education, Perception, Postgraduate student
