Hierarchy is a form of organization of power that stratifies individuals and groups based on possession of valuable social resources. However, there is a hierarchical relationship between SAOs and the faculty, which is difficult to observe. Furthermore, they work with faculty members to create lecture and practical training curricula and educational guidelines for medical students. In addition to overseeing student counselling, SAOs also serve as a liaison between the faculty council, the student affairs committee, and other education-related committees on campus. For example, SAOs support events such as entrance and graduation ceremonies, as well as student enrolment management related to withdrawals, expulsions, transfers, leaves of absence, graduation, student life guidance, and student extracurricular activities. SAOs commonly handle the academic and financial affairs of all medical students, providing a supportive advisory role or responding to medical students who are experiencing various difficulties. There are now several types of SAOs at medical universities, and organisational members may also include physicians, counsellors, and administrative staff with no medical training. Although the spotlight tends to focus on faculty members who actually interact with medical students during classes and in clinical situations, SAOs – who continuously and inclusively monitor their growth and development – also play an important, behind-the-scenes role. Collaboration between student affairs officers (SAOs) and the faculty is important in dealing with the recent rapid changes in medical education mentioned above, where mutual understanding is essential to ensure that education is smoothly imparted and that participants become a cohesive social group. Significant changes have occurred in medical education in recent years, including a shift toward competency-based medical education in teaching and learning, enhancement of the mentoring system, and use of new technologies, such as online learning and simulation training programmes. Medical university education is complex when considering the people, situations, and systems that influence and complement each other.

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