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Medical training in India is experiencing a paradigm shift. The competency-based medical education (CBME) for undergraduate medical training was adopted from the admission session 2019. The Indian Medical Graduate (IMG) was identified under CBME, by explicitly documenting its roles viz. clinician, professional, communicator, leader and life-long learner. In the recently released amended guidelines, two additional roles of IMG have been added. Looking at the roles of the IMG, it can be inferred that professionalism is one of the core roles assigned to IMG, and most other roles like - clinician, leader, and communicator fall under the broad definition of role as professional. It is argued that the objective of the curriculum should not only be to equip the students for identifying their professional roles but to support them to develop their professional identities. The potential of the CBME to equip the teachers and students to develop the professional identity of students is adequately supported by literature. However, the professional identity of IMG has not been defined to date, and no structured framework to develop this professional identity of the undergraduate students in the Indian context is available. The conceptual paper is an effort to define the professional identity of IMG and provide a framework to develop their professional identity.

Background: The Indian Competency-Based Medical Education curriculum focuses on clinical skills acquisition. Video modules to teach medical students Mental Status Examination (MSE) provide digital skill-based educational opportunities. We describe here the design, content, and preliminary validation of a video MSE module for medical students., Methods: The video MSE module consists of a PowerPoint presentation with embedded videos on schizophrenia, mania, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and delirium. A case vignette and an MSE report accompany each video. Medical interns played roles of patient and doctor based on a pre-designed script. We demonstrated the module to 9th-semester medical students (n=19) and compared their knowledge and perceived acquisition of MSE skills to a control group (n=20). We collected expert psychiatrists' views on the module and incorporated their suggestions., Results: The medical students exposed to the module found it an interest-generating, useful learning resource meeting their education goals and helpful for conducting MSE compared to a lesser proportion of them who attended clinical postings only (p<0.05). Most agreed that the videos' mood/affect, thought content, perceptions, and insight components are effective (p<0.05). The medical interns reported learning the conversation of MSE and essential patient communication skills. All nine experts agreed that the module is a useful resource-saving teaching-learning aid and unanimously agreed to all components of the Content Validity Index., Conclusions: The validated MSE video module is appropriate as a self-help and a teaching aid to existing teaching resources in the Indian context., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The significance of assessment in driving learning is undeniable, particularly in oral assessments like viva voce where students express themselves verbally. However, traditional viva voce examinations' challenges include reliability, objectivity, content validity, time constraints, varying question difficulty levels, inconsistency in questioning among students, the influence of the "halo" effect, and issues with the test environment. Thus the study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Objective, Integrated, Clustered Examination Software (VOICES) compared to traditional viva voce methods. Using a mixed-method design with 103 students, questions were framed using VOICES software created by the National Informatics Center (NIC), Chhattisgarh State Center, Government of India, and students responded through voice messages. Faculty graded students based on personalized videos created by the app. Then, feedback was given, and a focused group discussion was conducted for the students. Traditional viva voce examinations were conducted as part of internal assessments, and the marks obtained from these assessments were compared to evaluate their effectiveness in comparison to the VOICES app. There was no significant difference in the marks obtained using both methods indicating that viva voce using an oral assessment app is equally effective. Students responded positively to the VOICES method. The formative oral assessment conducted through the use of the VOICES app successfully addresses the challenges typically associated with traditional viva voce examinations. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Traditional viva voce examination encounters challenges including reliability, objectivity, content validity, time constraints, varying question difficulty levels, inconsistency in questioning among students, the influence of the "halo" effect, and issues with the test environment. Formative oral assessment conducted through the use of the Objective, Integrated, Clustered Examination Software (VOICES) app developed by the National Informatics Center (NIC) successfully addresses the challenges typically associated with traditional viva voce examinations.

Purpose: The traditional method of oral examination, though a good tool for assessing the depth and breadth of student's knowledge, has its shortcomings. A variable number of questions with variable difficulty levels by different examiners with different expectations can introduce bias in scores. The process aspect of oral examinations of first-year undergraduate medical students was improved by structuring them and by creating uniformity in the number, time, and difficulty level of questions for assessment, and feedback was taken regarding its acceptance as an improved tool of assessment., Methods: After finalizing the topics, questions from a viva viewpoint were structured and categorized into three difficulty levels covering all aspects of chosen topics validated by subject experts. The number of questions asked per difficulty level, time, and marks given to each question was pre-decided. After briefing the students, the structured viva was conducted, and feedback was taken from students and examiners., Results: The majority (87%) of first-year undergraduate students undertook the structured viva and filled in the feedback form. Nearly all students felt that the structured oral examination was a fair and unbiased assessment tool with less subjectivity compared to traditional viva. Most students (83.9%) felt that the topics were comprehensively covered, and 96.4% of students felt less stressed. Among examiners, there was 100% agreement on the uniformity of questions asked, topics covered, less subjectivity, and no carryover effect., Conclusion: The examiners have accepted it as one of the formative assessment tools for future batches of students and are ready to explore its utility as a summative assessment tool.

Background: Participating in undergraduate research in research-focused countries enhances students' critical evaluation, innovation, and contribution skills. Medical research is essential for undergraduates as it develops their critical thinking and analytical skills for innovation and aids in their professional growth. Many Indian students might be unaware of research opportunities because of insufficient exposure and guidance within their academic programs and restricted access to research facilities and mentorship at their educational institutions. Hence, this study aimed to check the awareness of medical and allied undergraduate students regarding research work. Methodology: Four hundred twenty-six valid responses were collected through an online Google form using snowball sampling from various healthcare disciplines, such as medicine, dental, nursing, Ayurveda, and physiotherapy. Data was collected from all over Maharashtra. The questionnaire had two sections: the first was regarding sociodemographics, and the other was an awareness tool, prepared and scored. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 22. Results: Most students (82.6%) supported making research a compulsory part of their education. Medical students showed greater interest (69.2%) than paramedical students (64.2%). Non-English-medium and government institute students had significantly higher awareness scores ( p < 0.001). The type of course and a lower socioeconomic status were strong predictors of awareness (β = 16.809, -2.365, respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Over 80% of medical students supported mandatory research in their curriculum. The specific course type and lower socioeconomic status were the best predictors of research awareness., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2024.)

Background: It is challenging to teach the complexity of the doctor-patient relationship through attitude, ethics, and communication (AETCOM) modules, particularly without being formally trained and especially to first-year medical students who do not interact directly with patients. The present study was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of trigger films (TFs) or short movie clips as a teaching-learning tool to train undergraduate medical students on various aspects of doctor-patient relationships., Methods: Two modules on various aspects of the doctor-patient relationship were developed using TFs and written case studies and implemented on Phase Ⅰ medical students. Quantitative and qualitative feedback were collected from learners. Perception, understanding, and knowledge were assessed using pre- and post-questionnaires. The results of the feedback and questionnaires collected after using TFs were compared with those collected after using written case studies., Results: There was a gain in knowledge and understanding after TF sessions, and TF sessions were rated much higher by the students than traditional methods. Most students found TFs to be an innovative and interesting tool. The satisfaction index calculated for TFs from the feedback of both students and teachers was above 96%., Conclusions: TFs engaged the students' affective domain, promoted reflective attitudes, and linked their learning to experiences. It was reported not only to be interesting and engaging but also effective as a teaching tool.

Childhood hypertension (HTN) is becoming one of the most important health concerns in children, and it is the most important predictor of adult HTN. The objective was to assess the level of knowledge and to develop and validate questionnaires about childhood HTN among final-year medical students. This facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2018 to September 2018 in 5 teaching hospitals of Central India. A total of 383 interviews were conducted by non-probability purposive sampling using a validated tool. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the validity of the questionnaire, and internal consistency of items was assessed with Cronbach α. A total of 26 items were finalized through consensus. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sample adequacy was measures of sampling adequacy (MSA) = 0.83, and Bartlett's test of sphericity was (x 2 = 15.89, P = .014). This study shows that the tool developed had acceptable validity and reliability to assess the knowledge about childhood HTN among undergraduate medical students., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: The COVID 19 lockdown created a shift in medical education from the traditional physical classroom to online learning., Objectives: To explore the lived experiences of students in various years of medical education attending a medical college in Chennai, India., Methods: In this qualitative exploration of lived experiences we conducted 4 focus group discussions among students of the four years in the medical college with the help of a checklist. We recorded the interviews, transcribed them and performed a thematic content analysis., Results: There was a gendered impact of the lockdown on the online learning experiences with women students finding it challenging to attend classes balancing their gender roles of performing household chores. Online learning offered some advantages in the form of increased participation and engagement due to the partial anonymity. The greatest disadvantage of online learning was lack of clinical learning experience. The students resorted to fabricating case studies for discussion, which some students found useful and some commented that it can never replace real life clinical discussions. A generational gap between adoption of technology between the senior professors and the students hampered the online learning. Online assessments were challenging, and many students resorted to cheating in these exams., Conclusions: Though online learning offers several advantages, it has serious limitations in offering the clinical learning experience. While planning adoption of online learning into routine medical education adequate time must be set aside for real life clinical exposure in addition to the online lectures and demonstrations for conceptual understanding., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background The newly introduced 'Elective programme', a voluntary special study module in the final phase of the undergraduate medical curriculum, offers scope for new immersive, self-directed learning opportunities. We describe a programme of study for learning 'medical sociology' through the innovative use of humanities in medicine. Methods Our elective module, called 'Community Health and Rock Music' (CHaRM), was a 2-week programme, merging the curricular subject of community health with 'rock music' as an exposure to the 'counter-culture' outside of the medical world. The half-day sessions consisted of: (i) watching/listening to a rock song-video without reading its lyrics; (ii) listening to the same song again but with lyrics; (iii) undertaking an emotionally stimulating activity (watching a movie, making a site-visit, etc.); and (iv) debriefing, to identify/discuss the underlying social determinants of health and their relevance in the grooming of a socially aware medical student. Formative assessment was intended to gauge levels of expression of the affective domain (attitude/emotions). Results Seven of 143 students volunteered for this programme. Key learnings were a clear appreciation of the societal determinants of health (such as deprivation/discrimination/social structures); multi-level causation of diseases; social issues not addressed in traditional medical curriculum; personal growth; teamwork; and the role of empathy in medical practice. Additional learning was the exposure to the 'counter-culture of arts'. All 7 student assessments 'met expectation', with 4 of them 'exceeding expectation'. Conclusion An 'elective programme' combining humanities with medicine is potentially an innovative, student-centric and replicable model of learning that impacts the affective domain critical for doctors-in-training.

Medical science is a dynamic field of knowledge that is constantly broadening with upcoming clinical research and analysis. Traditional medical education has been focused on textbook-based recall assessments-closed book assessment (CBA). However, the availability of newer technologies has made the accessibility to encyclopedic knowledge expeditious, which demands for a new approach for medical education. As medical professionals, the purpose of learning should be higher cognitive skills such as interpretation and synthesis. So, analyzing students' ability to comprehend the concepts and learning to apply it in a realistic context than merely recalling the facts has come into attention. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and compare the performance of 250 first-year MBBS students at Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India, between closed book and open book method for biochemistry. Students were divided into two groups, Group A and Group B, based on their average monthly internal assessment marks. CBA was followed by open book assessment (OBA) 1 week apart with similar questionnaire pattern and allotted time. A significant difference in average marks obtained by the two groups was observed in CBA. Group A scored better in CBA, but performance was comparable with Group B in OBA. OBA and CBA can contribute to an assessment program in part because of their complementary pros and cons, and OBA should not be thought of as an alternative to CBA, but their value may be in expanding beyond what is measured by CBA., (© 2024 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

Purpose: To assess whether medical undergraduates can be trained to effectively screen diabetic retinopathy (DR) by statistical comparison with a retina specialist at a tertiary eye care center in India., Methods: Three final-year undergraduate medical students, having completed ophthalmology department rotation, received training from a retina specialist for grading DR, following which they were asked to grade a set of 50 fundus photographs centered on the macula with a view of 50° as sight-threatening DR (STDR), diabetic macular edema, and grade of DR. Agreement among the undergraduates and retina specialist was determined with the help of Cohen's Kappa coefficient., Results: Kappa coefficient between undergraduates for detection of STDR ranged from 0.695 to 0.817 and between each student and the retina specialist ranged from 0.663 to 0.712. The sensitivity and specificity for undergraduates' and retina specialist's detection of STDR were 93.93%-96.96% and 60%, respectively., Conclusion: There was substantial agreement among the undergraduates as well as between the undergraduates and the retina specialist for the detection of STDR. Undergraduates also detected STDR with a high sensitivity. This study outlines the feasibility of training undergraduate students for screening DR., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.)

Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to assess the factors that influenced the increased failure rate among first-year Indian medical students who appeared for the Maharashtra University of Health Science (MUHS) summative university examination, having experienced the competency-based medical education (CBME) curriculum for the first time amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic., Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional online questionnaire-based study was undertaken between July 2021 and November 2021, in which first-year Indian medical students who were enrolled in the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program in the year 2019 and appeared for the MUHS summative university examination in February 2021 were invited to participate. Analysis was done using JASP (v0.16.0.0), and the odds ratio for failure was calculated at a significance level of P < 0.05., Results: Responses were obtained from 360 individuals, of whom 74.5% had passed and 25.5% had failed (n = 360). The odds of failure in first-year MBBS summative university examination was higher in students with irregular Internet access, irregular device access, an unsupportive peer environment in college, a National Entrance cum Eligibility Test score below 500, an unsupportive family environment during the lockdown, severe stress, severe depression, testing positive for COVID-19 before the exam, death in the family during the exam, and failing in terms and prelims and students of male gender ( P < 0.01)., Conclusion: The total failure rate of 27% in the MUHS examination was mainly attributed to interplay between the student's mental health, lack of devices or Internet, and the changed assessment part of the CBME curriculum. Surprisingly, lecture frequencies, teaching patterns, and study resources did not influence the failure rate. These results can be used to formulate interventions that will help to improve academic performance and mental health students and thus help them adapt to the new curriculum., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Postgraduate Medicine.)

Critical thinking is considered as the essential set of skills for medical practice, particularly during emergencies. However, there is lack of conceptual clarity around it and it was not explicitly included in the undergraduate medical curriculum in India. The present study has been planned to assess the critical thinking disposition and clinical reasoning skills among medical undergraduate students in a medical college in West Bengal, India. The perceived definition and attributes of critical thinking in medical education will be explored and the contexts where application of critical thinking skills may be crucial for medical practice will be identified. The content validity index, test-retest agreement; internal consistency and construct validity of the Critical Thinking Disposition Assessment Questionnaire (CTDAQ) will be assessed through step-by-step procedure. CTDAQ and the case-based objective-type questions for the clinical reasoning skills will be applied to around 200 medical undergraduate students. Their perception and experience on critical thinking in medical education will be assessed with structured open-ended questions. In-depth interviews with medical teachers of the second and third phases of undergraduate medical curriculum will be conducted to assess their perception and experiences on critical thinking. The quantitative analysis will be conducted with MS excel and R software using the relevant packages. The qualitative data will be transcribed and translated in English, close to the participants' verbatim. The thematic analysis will be conducted with inductive coding and memoing. The study will be conducted maintaining ethical standards for epidemiological studies. The present study, one of the first a few studies in India, will help to meet the conceptual gap in understanding the attributes of critical thinking, its association with clinical reasoning and the contexts of preferred application in medical practice., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Mukhopadhyay DK and Choudhari SG.)

Background Grand ward rounds are an integral component of undergraduate medical education. Covid-19 prevented the conduct of conventional grand ward rounds (CWRs) prompting a 'virtual' grand ward round (VWR). With restrictions lifted should future grand ward rounds remain virtual? Undergraduate perceptions on the two formats were sought to explore the feasibility of the VWR as a teaching ward round for medical students. Methods Our study was done during April 2021 to April 2022. The weekly grand ward round was converted to a VWR during April-November 2021. Following lifting of restrictions, it was reverted to a CWR. All patients provided informed consent. A Zoom-based, secure, online platform was created with the use of smartphones to share audiovisuals and patient discussions. An online anonymised feedback survey was conducted for undergraduates during both VWR and CWR phases. Results The response rate was 71% (182/258). VWR was considered more advantageous than the CWR in terms of time efficiency (p=0.03), space restrictions (p=0.01), improved audibility (p=0.02) and better opportunity to engage in discussions (p=0.1). Most students (80%) felt that the VWR provides a more 'ideal' grand ward. Overall preference was towards VWR across safety (92%), efficacy (72%), communication (85%), information availability (84%) and training opportunity (73%). Again 80% of students preferred future ward rounds to be virtual. Conclusions VWR is an innovative approach. While not a substitute for bedside teaching it appears safer, efficient, thought/discussion-provoking and more satisfactory. Successful elements of the VWR can be adopted in future, to develop a more ideal undergraduate grand ward round.

Background : Antibiotic resistance is increasing at an alarming rate. Many reasons are there which need urgent attention toward this problem. Efforts in all directions are required to address this serious issue. The irrational prescribing habits of physicians lead to increasing morbidity, mortality, and treatment costs. One of the key components of the system is the prescriber and their practices. In the present study, efforts were made to know the understanding of the medical students about the severity of the problem and to find out the focus area that needs to be modified. Materials and methods : A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among the second-year medical students of a teaching hospital after the ethical approval study was explained to the student and written consent was taken. The questionnaire was given before and after exposure to formal lectures on antimicrobial agents. The collected data was analyzed. Results : It was clear that inappropriate use of antimicrobials causes antimicrobial resistance (AMR) (87.3%) and can harm patients (82%). Interactive patient-oriented problem-solving modules on the internet (35%) and small group problem-based learning are preferred by (32%) students. Preparedness about antimicrobial use was seen only in 50% of the students in a few essential aspects. Learning during the medical course only does the purpose of sensitization, for the thorough knowledge repeated exposure is essential. Conclusion : Most of the students were partially aware of the AMR. The only concern was their casual attitude regarding antibiotic use. Further educational interventions are necessary to improve their understanding and perceptions of antibiotic resistance, as well as their attitude toward antibiotic use. How to cite this article : Deogaonkar A,Dawane J. Impact of UG Training on Understanding the Severity of Antimicrobial Resistance. J Assoc Physicians India 2023;71(11):14-18., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2023.)

Background Evidence-based research aids in decision-making in the health sector for developing health policies for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Medical research is not taught in the undergraduate curriculum. Studies show that attributes of research knowledge, awareness and practical involvement in research are low among undergraduate students. We developed and validated a module and trained undergraduate students in research skills through an inter-ventional workshop using the structured module. Methods We did this participatory action research with a mixed-methods approach in the Department of Community Medicine at Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Bathinda, Punjab. A structured module was developed by the core committee and validated internally and externally. Pilot testing of the module was done by delivering it in the form of a workshop to 46 students. For statistical analysis, percentage agreements, validity indices, median (interquartile range), satisfaction percentages and Wilcoxon sign test were used. Results The structured and validated module was established to have high face validity (>90%) and content validity (CVI=0.975). The module was successfully pilot tested for delivery through both onsite and online modes. The satisfaction percentage with the workshop was 91% and 100% and overall rating of the module was 74% and 91% by interns and MBBS students, and 100% by faculty. The scores of knowledge and skills were found to be significantly higher on all variables post workshop with p<0.001. All students scored satisfactory grades for research skills. Conclusions Teaching research using a structured validated module improved the knowledge and skills related to research among students. Both students and faculty were satisfied with the use of the structured module.

Background The competency-based undergraduate medical curriculum has a number of new elements. Few authors have attempted to understand the students' viewpoints on the curriculum. We assessed undergraduate students perspectives and ratings about various elements after 2 years of implementation of the curriculum. Methods We included 240 students (2019 and 2020 admission). An invitation letter-cum-information sheet was sent to all the students by email informing them about the study, keeping their identity confidential and the implied consent. A validated questionnaire based on a 5-point Likert scale including 35 closed-ended questions eliciting the students' perception on various elements of the new curriculum and a rating scale from 1 to 5 was designed. Data collection was done using Google forms. Results Of the 240 respondents, 192 (80%) had positive perceptions for the Foundation Course, Attitude, Ethics and Communication skills, Early Clinical Exposure and Community Health Visits. Integrated Teaching, Small Group Teaching and Assessments were viewed less positively (62.9%-75%) and Self-directed Learning received the lowest positive responses (57%-58%). For training as a doctor, the elements considered most valuable were Early Clinical Exposure (70.4%) and Community Health Visits (70.4%) while the least were Logbooks (35.5%) and Reflections (34.2%). Conclusions Students found Early Clinical Exposure and Community Health Visits the most valuable elements whereas Self-directed Learning, Logbooks and Reflections were rated as the least useful.

When we talk about 20-20 it goes without saying that we are talking about Indian Premier League matches. But when we talk about 2020, we get goosebumps even remembering the memories of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic! It was just about that time when the National Medical Commission (NMC) rolled out the Competency-based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum for the first Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) batch admitted in the 2019-2020 academic year. Who knew that the timetable so well planned would go for a toss due to the global pandemic? It was indeed a learning lesson for all. The word pandemic is derived from the Greek words pan = all and demos = people. An epidemic that affects large geographic areas across the entire world at the same time is called a pandemic. Most of the pandemics are caused by viruses, for example, influenza, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and now COVID-19. Susceptible individuals get affected, they transmit the organism to many individuals in a short time. International travel spreads the disease globally in a short time and a pandemic is declared. Hence, it is the need of the hour to sensitize the medical students by incorporating the pandemic preparedness module in the medical curriculum. How to cite this article : Londhey V. Need for Pandemic Preparedness Teaching during the Medical Curriculum. J Assoc Physicians India 2023;71(10):11-12., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2023.)

Background The Covid-19 pandemic drastically affected medical education. One consequence was the shift of teaching-learning process to the online mode. This left many teachers unprepared. Our medical education department of a large teaching hospital did a qualitative analysis of the perceptions of the faculty towards this forced change. Methods We conducted in-depth interviews with 10 of the nearly hundred undergraduate faculty of a teaching hospital in southern India, with a strength of 100 students per batch. The participants were chosen by purposive sampling so as to include all phases and seniority levels. Seven categories related to the topic of research were decided. These were given to the participants to then speak freely about. Standard methods for recording and transcribing were followed. Deductive content analysis was done to obtain the emergent themes. Results The faculty had a definite negative perception of online teaching. Lack of interaction, absence of immediate feedback and concerns about attendance were uniformly the biggest issues. Practical and clinical teaching was deemed nearly impossible to be taught online. The positives were the gradual comfort factor with online teaching, and the mental preparation for the long haul with this modality. Conclusion In-depth interview and its qualitative analysis proved useful in getting a deeper understanding of the perceptions of the medical faculty towards online teaching-learning. The negative and positive perceptions thus obtained have proved useful as feedback to the medical education department to suggest changes to improve the online teaching programme.

Background: Application of e-learning and e-modules in medical education has been shown to have a positive impact on learning outcomes among all types of learners, across diverse educational settings. Despite its benefits, e-learning and e-modules has not yet reached its full potential in medical education in India. Objective of this study is to evaluate the perception of undergraduate students regarding e-learning and e-modules using an appreciative inquiry tool SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) analysis, and to identify the barriers and challenges for the same., Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted among participants from three consecutive batches (n = 250 x 3) of first-year medical students and two consecutive batches (n = 100 x 2) of first-year dental students. The sample was selected using a purposive sampling method. Two structured and validated questionnaires were developed for this study based on the modified Zhou's Mixed Methods Model; the 'Knowledge, Attitude and Practice' Questionnaire (KAPQ) on e-learning and the feedback questionnaire (FBQ) on e-modules. The questionnaires were administered via MOODLE / hard copy, before and after the implementation of e-modules, respectively. Identified strengths, potential opportunities, probable aspirations and likely results for e-learning and e-modules were tabulated based on the qualitative analysis of perceptions of large number students sampled across three years., Results: Six hundred and ninety students returned both questionnaires representing a response rate of 76.6%. Nine themes were identified in the "Strengths" domain as follows: Regular Update of Knowledge, Innovative Learning, Availability, Knowledge Sharing, Abundance of Information, Accessibility, Source of Knowledge, Creativity, and Increased Engagement. Eleven themes were identified in the "Opportunities" domain as follows: Clinical Skills training, Timesaving, Flexibility, Creativity, Increased engagement, Standardized content, Capacity building for students, Capacity building for faculty, Skills training, and Self-assessment. Thirteen themes were identified under the "Aspirations" domain with the three key themes being "maintaining and building on current strengths", "increasing potential opportunities", and "addressing the barriers and challenges identified in the responses to the KAPQ and FBQ questionnaire". Four themes identified for 'Barriers' were eye strain, distractions, preference for conventional methodologies, and internet connectivity., Conclusions: The findings of this qualitative study are based on the responses received from first-year medical and dental students of a Private University in Chennai, India. In this population of students, implementation of e-learning as blended learning using structured and interactive e-modules may provide more engagement during learning as well as support self-directed learning (SDL) directly or indirectly. Adoption of blended learning with e-modules as an integral part of curriculum planning may be beneficial for the achievement of Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) goals in India., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Prabu Kumar et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Purpose: During this forced down-time of COVID-19 pandemic, shift to virtual anatomy education is the solitary solution to support the learning of students. The purpose of this study was to understand the visible and invisible potential challenges being faced by the 1st year medical and dental students while attending digital anatomy classes., Methods: The present study was conducted on 81st year medical and dental students who were admitted to their respective college in August 2019 and were willing to participate in the study. A multiple choice close-ended questionnaire regarding their opinion on virtual classes was designed and feedback was taken from the students., Results: Majority (65%) of the students agreed that they missed their traditional anatomy learning i.e., dissection courses, face to face lectures and interaction with mentors. The students strongly felt the lack of confidence and difficulty in the topics completed without dissections, models, microscopic slides and other modalities. 83% felt lack of proper gadgets, high-band width and strong internet connections, a potential barrier in their digital learning. Lack of self-motivation was felt by 69% students., Conclusions: The current situation of anatomy education is not intentional, and is not the long term silver bullet solution for a visual subject like anatomy. Though learners face a lot of challenges, however, a shift to online must be supported at this time of health crisis. As the digital learning may go for indefinite period, the feedback of students may be helpful for relevant and timely modifications in digital anatomy education.

Purpose: COVID 19 pandemic has brought crucial changes in the field of medical education. Ad mist university examinations in India medical schools have switched to online assessment methods to avoid student gatherings. In this context, we conducted online anatomy practical evaluation and we have aimed at quantifying the students' experience on virtual assessment., Methods: A total of 250 first year MBBS students appeared for online anatomy practical examinations. Immediately after the completion of exams electronic feedback about their experience, in questionnaire format was obtained after getting informed consent. Their feedback was analysed and quantified., Results: Completed feedback forms were submitted by 228 students. More than 50% of students favoured online anatomy spotter examinations. Only 32.8% of students were comfortable with soft parts discussion using images. For image based viva voce 61.4%, 80% & 82% of students responded that the features and orientation of osteology, radiology and embryology images, respectively, were good. For surface marking 55% of the participants preferred online verbal evaluation. Finally, more than 60% of the students preferred the conventional over online assessment methods., Conclusions: The inclination of students' preference for traditional anatomy examination methods mandates adequate training of both students and teachers for virtual examination. The superiority of conventional anatomy practical examination methods is unbiased but pandemic situations warrant adequate preparedness. In the future the anatomy teaching and evaluation methodology in Indian medical schools have to be drastically reviewed in equivalence with global digitalization.

The COVID-19 outbreak has shut down universities and prompted the teaching faculty to move to online resources. In view of upcoming of new Medical Council of India (MCI) curriculum and outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, keeping pace with medical education became a challenge. To keep on par with learning activities of undergraduate students during this period, the teaching faculty adopted the use of online resources. E-learning tools were utilized to engage first-year undergraduate students and satisfy majority of aspects of Competency-Based Undergraduate Medical Curriculum/Education (CBMC/E) in Biochemistry., (© 2020 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

With the introduction of competency-based undergraduate curriculum in India, a paradigm shift in the assessment methods and tools will be the need of the hour. Competencies are complex combinations of various attributes, many of which being not assessable by objective methods. Assessment of affective and communication domains has always been neglected for want of objective methods. Areas like professionalism, ethics, altruism, and communication-so vital for being an Indian Medical Graduate, can be assessed longitudinally applying subjective means only. Though subjectivity has often been questioned as being biased, it has been proven time and again that a subjective assessment in expert hands gives comparable results as that of any objective assessment. By insisting on objectivity, we may compromise the validity of the assessment and deprive the students of enriched subjective feedback and judgement also. This review highlights the importance of subjective assessment in competency-based assessment and ways and means of improving the rigor of subjective assessment, with particular emphasis on the development and use of rubrics., Competing Interests: None

Background: The undergraduate medical curriculum has undergone a major revision. This study was designed to systematically review the revised Indian medical school curriculum to assess the extent of coverage of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antibiotic stewardship-related competencies., Methods: We undertook a document review of the recently revised Indian medical curriculum to identify the extent of coverage of competencies related to AMR and antibiotic stewardship. With the use of a previously described search strategy, we queried the online freely accessible version of the curriculum in duplicate and independently. We describe by volume, by subject and by the tenets of Miller's pyramid all references to AMR and stewardship., Results: Out of 2939 competencies that medical students are expected to complete over a 5.5-year period, 17 (0.57%) relate to AMR and antibiotic stewardship policies (ASP). There are no references to AMR or ASP in Pediatrics, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ear, Nose and Throat, Ophthalmology and Orthopedics. Community Medicine has few links through integrated teaching but has no direct AMR or ASP content. When categorized by Miller's domains, two of the competencies, both in Pharmacology, deal with the "Does" category, which is the practical skill gained by the student. There are five competencies which belong to the "Shows How" category and the remaining 10 belong to the knowledge categories., Discussion: There is poor coverage of AMR and stewardship in the revised Indian medical curriculum, suggesting that there is very little appreciation of the enormous threat that AMR poses to public health. This is a huge missed opportunity that needs immediate corrective action., Competing Interests: None

The study aimed to explore the perception and knowledge-gain of undergraduate medical students during the Medical Council of India-mandated one month foundation course in August, 2019. A total of 129 consenting students who underwent the foundation course were enrolled and their feedback collected using an email-based structured questionnaire. A majority (>60%) had positive attitudes towards various aspects of the course, with good scores obtained in the post-test by the majority of the students. The information reported will assist in the planning of future foundation course programs.

Today most education institutions around the world have adopted the philosophy of outcome-based education. The emphasis in outcome-based education is achievement of outcomes; hence the curriculum should be designed in a way that it includes the components targeted specifically at achieving these outcomes. A discipline-based approach results in fragmentation of learning and lack of clinical applicability. Integrated teaching could be a solution to achieve required outcomes in a holistic way. Hence, the aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate an integrated teaching module. Temporal coordination of the basic sciences, along with correlation of learned topics to clinical settings, was done in the first year of the undergraduate medical program. The module was evaluated by obtaining qualitative and quantitative feedback from students. Student assessment was conducted with a test that had case vignettes and multiple-choice questions. In addition, students' change in learning approaches and self-directed learning readiness were collected. Students' perception regarding the educational environment was also obtained. Analysis of the data showed positive feedback from the students regarding the integrated teaching. Students' average score in the test was 86%. There was a significant increase in the scores for the deep approach and self-directed learning readiness in the posttest compared with the pretest. Moreover, students were found to be satisfied with the educational environment. Evaluation of integrated teaching revealed that it was well accepted by the students. Moreover, it facilitated the achievement of the students' outcomes.

History of medicine is rich with the achievements and successes of years of research and development. The Medical Council of India incorporated teaching 'History of Medicine' in the undergraduate medical curriculum in India nearly a decade ago. Despite being included in the medical curriculum by the Medical Council of India, it is not yet a part of the teaching curriculum in the top-ranking medical institutions. Teaching 'History of Medicine' to undergraduate medical students may be a good divergence from the fact-based teaching of undergraduate medical curriculum. It will also help students cherish medical achievements of the past and inculcate in them a sense of pride and belongingness to the medical fraternity., Competing Interests: None

Purpose: The utility of peer-assisted learning (PAL) in anatomy education has been recognized. In this study, PAL was incorporated into osteology teaching for the first-year medical students and compared to traditional didactic methods (TDM)., Methods: This was a cross-over intervention study. The class of 60 students was divided into two equal groups. The first group underwent PAL for five upper limb osteology sessions and TDM for all lower limb osteology classes. The second group underwent TDM for five upper limb osteology classes and PAL for lower limb osteology classes. A pre-session test (PrST) and post-session test (PoST) were conducted for each session using multiple choice type questions. Perceptions of students about PAL were collected using a questionnaire. Between and within group differences were estimated using the independent sample T test and paired T test, respectively. The responses in the questionnaire were summarized and open-ended responses categorized into broad themes., Results: Greater group differences were noted in the PrST as compared to the PoST mean scores, with the PAL group showing higher mean scores for both upper and lower limb sessions. Significantly higher PoST scores compared to PrST scores for all the sessions were observed regardless of the method used. Significantly higher scores in the PrST or PoST scores were noted in the PAL group for five sessions. Most aspects of PAL were appreciated by the students., Conclusions: This study provides evidence that PAL is at least as effective as TDM in learning osteology among the first-year medical students.

Background: Second-year MBBS students need to be trained in applying theoretical knowledge into practice so that they can give appropriate advice during family visits in the community. For this, it is necessary to utilize the classroom timing for discussion and facilitation. In "flipped classrooms," what is normally done in class and what is normally done as homework is switched or flipped. Thus, a study was planned to train the students to apply theory into practice by using flipped classroom methodology., Methods: After ethical committee approval and informed consent, 48 second year MBBS students were enrolled in the study. Selected topics (i.e., "nutrition in under-five children") was taught through the "flipped classroom"model after a pretest assessment. Students were allotted a family case in the urban slums having at least one under-five child so that they can apply theory into practice. The formal assessment was done through structured case viva and spot examination. After 3 months, a posttest was conducted in the classroom to assess retention in knowledge. Feedback of the students was taken on the flipped classroom model., Results: The average marks scored in structured case viva with spot examination was 8.28 ± 2.4 marks. There was a statistically significant association of scores in the structured case viva with spot examination with participation in all pre- and in-class activities (P < 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in pre- and posttest marks (10.03 ± 2.17 vs. 18.84 ± 3.8). The class average normalized gain was 44%. Overall, there was positive feedback for "flipped classroom teaching." Most of the students felt that this was a practical approach to the topic., Discussion: Students can apply theory into practice and knowledge gained is also retained through the use of the flipped classroom teaching method., Competing Interests: None

This article examines the transferability of conversations in literary studies to a more sensitive, holistic, ethically informed, medical education. The article begins with a discussion of a class assignment on medical humanities in a literature course. The assignment enabled an immersive engagement with medical discourse by diverse students through different modes - through textual analysis, direct, and reflective encounters with communities of patients, caregivers, health professionals. The effort was to suggest that literature and medicine be studied as continuous shared strategies of reading and narrating lived experiences of health and illness. The insights of such learning should ideally be integral to the curriculum of medical students in India. Though the Medical Council of India's mandate for the humanities is inadequately sketched out, it nevertheless provides an opportunity to demand a larger citizenship and broader base of social sensitivity and knowledge for medical humanities.

Background: Professionalism is the foundation of the doctor-patient relationship with emotional competency at its core. This competency is based on emotional intelligence (EI), contributing to effective work performance. As EI is reasonably new in health professions education in India, this study was conducted to assess the effect of reflection and peer feedback on EI scores among undergraduate medical students and explore facilitating and hindering factors for augmenting EI., Methods: This pre- and post interventional study was conducted among 94 final-year (Part I) medical students from a rural medical college in Central India. Baseline assessment of EI scores was done using a self-reported validated EI scale, and then, a mini-workshop was conducted to sensitize students on EI and to train them in writing reflection and giving peer feedback. Between the pretest and posttest, students were asked to write weekly reflection and take monthly feedback from the "peer" of their choice. Posttest assessment was done at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months. Force-field analysis was undertaken with 10 students each with highest and lowest EI scores to assess facilitating and hindering factors., Results: There was a significant improvement (P < 0.0001) in the EI scores at each subsequent time point from baseline. Students who were male, from nuclear families and considered themselves spiritual had significantly higher median EI scores. Students reported self-motivation, social support, and openness to learn new things as enabling forces for augmenting EI. Hindering factors were time constraint and lack of mutual trust in the relationship between students., Discussion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that personal introspection methods such as self-reflection and peer feedback help to improve the EI of undergraduate students. Therefore, it is imperative that the students are trained in these skills for building their emotional competencies., Competing Interests: None

Imparting a positive attitude toward social determinants of health among medical students has remained a challenge in medical education. This pedagogical exercise attempted to use a toxic tour with participant photography technique to impart environmental health education as part of the community medicine curriculum for medical students. In collaboration with a local environmental health nongovernmental organization, faculty from two medical colleges took a set of 13 medical students to Ennore thermal power plants as a part of a toxic tour to view the air and water pollution caused due to the operation of the power plants. The students were instructed to capture photographs of the environmental hazards using their mobile phone cameras and share them on a social media platform. Immediately after the tour, the students discussed their experiences with the faculty. Two weeks after the toxic tour, the students engaged in a focus group discussion in which they discussed their experiences, advantages, and disadvantages of the toxic tour and participant photography method and their attitudes toward environmental health. This pedagogical exercise led to the active engagement of the students with the environmental hazards in the area. They shared 70 photographs on the social media platform. In reflection, students described that they found the method very useful to actively engage with the environment, look for and find the hazards, revisit, and reflect on the photos, and use the photos to share the knowledge and experience. They also demonstrated a positive social determinants and public health attitude during the discussions. Participant photography technique during a toxic tour can impart affective domain of learning related to environmental health among medical students., Competing Interests: None

Background: Medical professionals in India need to understand the concepts of molecular genetics to stay up-to-date with clinical care as well as to strengthen basic research in the biomedical sciences., Methods: We introduced a modular course on 'Fundamentals in molecular and cellular biology' for first-year medical undergraduate students in the second semester of the first MBBS year in 2015, as part of 'Innovations in teaching physiology' at St John's Medical College. This was a voluntary, add-on course with didactic lectures, hands-on practical classes and a research paper presentation. Evaluation of students' performance in the course took into account their performance in the research paper presentation-based group activity and their attendance for the hands-on practical sessions. Feedback on the content, delivery, evaluation and future improvements of the course was sought from the students., Results: About 65% of students regularly attended the 10-hour long course. Of the students evaluated for the course, 43% achieved the highest, and 11% achieved the lowest grade assigned. Nearly 72% of the students provided feedback on the course., Conclusion: This first outing of the modular course on 'Fundamentals in molecular and cellular biology' generated excitement among the students and achieved some learning for them. It also brought to light hidden challenges in conducting such a voluntary course for medical students in India. Our experience with the course will help in designing a better-integrated course for exposure of first-year medical students to advances in molecular biology and its applied aspects as they progress through the MBBS course., Competing Interests: None

Background: The educational environment perceived by students has an impact on satisfaction with the course of study and academic achievement. We aimed to analyse the perceptions of medical students about their learning environment and to provide feedback to stakeholders involved in curriculum planning and execution., Methods: We did a cross-sectional descriptive study at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire. The DREEM inventory was administered to the undergraduate students of all semesters (n = 452). Students' perceptions of learning, perception about teachers, academic self-perceptions, perceptions of atmosphere and their social self-perceptions were measured. The scores obtained were expressed as mean (standard deviation) and analysed using t-test and 1-way ANOVA (with post-hoc comparison using Tukey test). The difference between semesters and gender was also analysed., Results: The mean (SD) global score was 122.06 (22.27), out of a maximum possible score of 200. Our students opined that teachers were knowledgeable, with this component scoring the maximum of 3.32 and, at the same time, they felt that teaching overemphasizes factual learning (1.41). Only 6 items scored <2. 'Students' perception of atmosphere' scored high among other domains (30 of 48, 62.5%). The mean global score of preclinical students (125.35 [20.43]) was better than clinical students (119.13 [23.44]; p = 0.003)., Conclusion: Although the global score is more positive, we identified a few areas of concern such as overemphasis on factual learning, authoritarian teachers, the not-so-helpful existing learning strategies, vast curriculum (inability to memorize all), lack of supporting system for stressed out students and the boredom they felt in the course. These vital areas should be addressed by the stakeholders for the betterment of learning in the institute., Competing Interests: None

Background: Graphic narratives can give medical and nursing students a broader concept of health and illness. However, graphic texts are not yet integrated into medical education in India. The present study was undertaken to assess the perception of medical and nursing undergraduate students about the use of comics in health professions' education., Methods: This study was an institution-based cross-sectional study conducted among 130 medical and 108 nursing students of a medical and nursing college, respectively, in Central Delhi. A pretested self-administered questionnaire containing items to assess knowledge and perception about graphic medicine in medical education was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0., Results: The mean age of students was 20.82 ± 1.51 years. Out of the 238 students, only 21.8% had heard about graphic medicine. However, 76.9% (n = 183) of students agreed that comics should be used in health professions' education. When asked about the subjects in which comic strips can be useful, the majority of medical students wanted them to be used in teaching community medicine (n = 95; 73.1%), while nursing students more often indicated their use in anatomy (n = 59; 54.6%). Overall large proportion of both nursing and medical students opined that comics aid in better understanding (58.8%) and memorization of concepts and content (57.6%). The majority of respondents felt that comic designing requires expertise (67.6%). Students also stated that comic strips on communicable diseases and reproductive and child health could be developed and used in teaching the subject of community medicine/public health., Discussion: Majority of students felt that comics should be used in medical education in India, preferably for teaching community medicine. Further, maternal and child health are important topics that can be taught using comics in public health. There is a need to explore ways for integrating graphic medicine into health professions' education., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Purpose: Currently, the curriculum of medical education is compartmentalized which makes achieving the expected outcome, a real challenge. Co-teaching, an existing concept in education, however, may be used in medical education for integrating the applied component while basic concepts are being taught. The hypothesis, "can co-teaching be an alternate for an integrated curriculum?" was explored in this study. Therefore, the present study was designed to compare the outcomes of co-teaching with the existing teaching methodology owing to the absence of integrated curriculum., Methods: Co-teaching and conventional modules of topics Diabetes mellitus (DM) and Alcohol and liver disease (AL), were prepared and validated. 100 under graduate medical students were randomly assigned to groups A and B. Group A was taught DM by Conventional teaching (CT) and AL by Integrated Co-teaching (ICT) and Group B was taught DM by ICT and AL by CT. A knowledge assessment tool of 20 multiple choice items was administered to assess the pre, post and retention knowledge scores. Change between knowledge scores was analyzed using inferential statistics., Results: Both conventional and co-teaching were significantly effective in increasing the knowledge scores (p = 0.0001) with no significant difference in learning outcomes (p = 0.59) between the two. However, co-teaching showed better knowledge retention compared to conventional teaching (p = 0.008)., Conclusions: Co-teaching could be considered as a substitute for integrated curriculum as it enabled comparatively better retention of knowledge as revealed by the findings., (Copyright © 2017 National Medical Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Traditional lecture-based teaching of anatomy tends to focus on the discipline per se rather than relating it to clinical conditions. As a result, students often lose interest in the basic sciences. We hypothesized that a lecture format that encourages students to relate anatomy to case presentations might help them in appreciating clinical relevance. We therefore proposed to develop, implement and evaluate innovative interactive clinical anatomy lectures (ICALs) for first year medical students of our institution as a method to implement the 'early clinical exposure' teaching strategy being promoted by the Medical Council of India., Methods: The first year medical students (n=150) were divided into two groups by lottery: the study group (n=75) and the control group (n=75). The study group received nine ICALs along with traditional gross anatomy lectures (TGL) and dissection. The control group received only TGL along with dissection. A post-test in clinical anatomy was conducted for both groups. The responses of the study group on TGL and ICALs on their learning and understanding of the clinical conditions were collected using the nominal group technique., Results and Conclusion: It is feasible to introduce early clinical exposure within lectures even with 150 students. There was a statistically significant (p<0.001) difference in the mean post-test scores of the two groups, which shows that ICALs are effective in correlating anatomical and clinical information to students. The nominal group technique responses of the study group showed that they appreciated it as a better method of teaching and learning., (Copyright 2015, NMJI.)

The present study aimed to provide undergraduate medical students at Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Campus), Manipal University, in Karnataka, India, an opportunity to apply their knowledge in cardiovascular concepts to real-life situations. A group activity named "Heart Shots" was implemented for a batch of first-year undergraduate students (n = 105) at the end of a block (teaching unit). Students were divided into 10 groups each having 10-11 students. They were requested to make a video/PowerPoint presentation about the application of cardiovascular principles to real-life situations. The presentation was required to be of only pictures/photos and no text material, with a maximum duration of 7 min. More than 95% of students considered that the activity helped them to apply their knowledge in cardiovascular concepts to real-life situations and understand the relevance of physiology in medicine and to revise the topic. More than 90% of students agreed that the activity helped them to apply their creativity in improving their knowledge and to establish a link between concepts rather than learning them as isolated facts. Based on the feedback, we conclude that the activity was student centered and that it facilitated learning., (Copyright © 2015 The American Physiological Society.)

The objectives of the present study were to 1) assess student attitudes to physiology, 2) evaluate student opinions about the influence of an objective structured practical examination (OSPE) on competence, and 3) assess the validity and reliability of an indigenously designed feedback questionnaire. A structured questionnaire containing 16 item statements, 8 items on an Osgood's 5-point semantic differential scale and 8 items on a Likert's 5-point scale, was used. Options were assigned scores of 1-5 according to weightage. For Osgood's semantic differential scale items, a χ(2)-test was done to analyze student attitudes toward the subject. For Likert scale items, mean score and SD were calculated to analyze student opinions of the OSPE. Item validity was assessed by item analysis, and reliability was assessed by calculating Crohnbach's α. The subject as a whole was interesting to 82% of the students (n = 135). The theory was interesting to 75% of the students (n = 132) but complex to 42% (n = 118). The practical was interesting to 93% of the students (n = 134); 76% of the students (n = 104) felt that the practical was simple, whereas 4% felt it was complex. The OSPE was interesting to 79% of the students (n = 131); 57% of the students (n = 116) felt it was simple, whereas 24% found it complex. Components of the subject, intricateness, and student interests were strongly associated. Students chose options on a higher weight scale, favoring the OSPE. Items were found to be valid and reliable. In conclusion, the subject of physiology was interesting but not simple to understand. Student interests varied with the components of the subject, and the components of the subject had varied intricateness. Students were in favor of the OSPE for assessment. The questionnaire used for the study was valid and reliable., (Copyright © 2015 The American Physiological Society.)

Background: Participation in research during undergraduate studies may increase students' interest in research and inculcate research essentials in them., Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the mentored student project (MSP) program., Settings and Design: In the MSP program, students in groups (n = 3 to 5) undertook a research project, wrote a scholarly report, and presented the work as a poster presentation with the help of a faculty mentor. To begin with, the logic model of the program was developed to identify short-term outcomes of the program on students, mentors, and the institution. A quasi-experimental design was used to measure the outcomes., Materials and Methods: A mixed method evaluation was done using a newly-developed questionnaire to assess the impact of the MSP on students' attitude, a multiple-choice question (MCQs) test to find out the impact on students' knowledge and grading of students' project reports and posters along with a survey to check the impact on skills. Students' satisfaction regarding the program and mentors' perceptions were collected using questionnaires. Evidence for validity was collected for all the instruments used for the evaluation., Statistical Analysis: Non-parametric tests were used to analyze data. Based on the scores, project reports and posters were graded into A (>70% marks), B (60-69% marks), and C (<59% marks) categories. The number of MSPs that resulted in publications, conference presentation and departmental collaborations were taken as impact on the institution., Results: Students' response rate was 91.5%. The students' attitudes regarding research changed positively (P = 0.036) and score in the MCQ test improved (P < 0.001) after undertaking MSP. Majority of project reports and posters were of grade A category. The majority of the items related to skills gained and satisfaction had a median score of 4. The MSPs resulted in inter-departmental and inter-institutional collaborations, 14 publications and 15 conference presentations. An area for improvement noted was to have the MSP implemented in the curriculum without increasing students' overall workload and stress., Conclusion: The study identified strengths and weaknesses of the MSP program. Our model of undergraduate research project may be incorporated in undergraduate medical programs to foster positive attitude and knowledge base about scientific research and to instil research skills among students.

The objective of the present study was to know the perceptions of students regarding objective structured practical examination (OSPE) as a tool for assessment in Forensic Medicine. The present study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (MGMCRI), Pondicherry, India. Undergraduate medical students of the 4th semester were enrolled in the study to know their perceptions regarding OSPE. The students were briefed regarding OSPE with a PowerPoint presentation and interaction. An examination was conducted using OSPE with10 stations and a total of 74 students participated in the study. The feedback was collected using a preformed proforma consisting of 12 items and analyzed. Most of the participants (82.4%) agreed that OSPE is a better method of examination than the conventional/traditional practical examination. The majority of the participants (77.0%) said that the OSPE covered wide range of knowledge than the conventional practical examination. A large number of students (63.5%) were of the opinion that the OSPE may be exhausting and stressful if number of stations are increased. Overall a larger proportion of the participants preferred OSPE over the conventional practical examination considering the various attributes examined in the study., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Background: As per the present curriculum in India, pre- and paraclinical subjects are taught away from the clinical setting. Therefore, students fail to connect the subject taught through didactic lectures to the clinical setting. Team-based learning (TBL) can be used in conjunction with lectures to teach applied microbiology. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of TBL sessions in conjunction with lectures to enhance learning of applied microbiology, among Indian students., Methods: All students enrolled in the study were taught systemic bacteriology through lectures. Of the 88 students, 49 students (study group) attended TBL sessions on the topics of diarrhea, fever of unknown origin, urinary tract infection and 39 students (control group) preferred self-study on the topics without attending the TBL sessions. Students' feedback on their perception on TBL sessions was collected using a questionnaire of 10 items. The performance of both the groups on the pre- and post-test were analyzed using unpaired t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Gender-wise performance within the teams was analyzed by paired t-test using SPSS version 12., Results: The TBL group outperformed the self-study group on the post-test [F 1 = 5.521, P = 0.021]. Female students as a whole performed better than males on the pre-test, scoring higher within both the TBL and self-study groups. Male students in the TBL group performed significantly better on the post-test than female students who participated in TBL sessions (P = 0.013). Students generally enjoyed and appreciated the TBL sessions., Discussion: TBL sessions can be used judiciously in combination with the lectures to enhance learning of applied microbiology in India. In this study, TBL improved the performance of male students over self-study, but performance for female students following TBL was no better than when they simply studied by themselves.

Background: Small group sessions are regarded as a more active and student-centered approach to learning. Item analysis provides objective evidence of whether such sessions improve comprehension and make the topic easier for students, in addition to assessing the relative benefit of the sessions to good versus poor performers. Self-assessment makes students aware of their deficiencies. Small group sessions can also help students develop the ability to self-assess. This study was carried out to assess the effect of small group sessions on item analysis and students' self-assessment., Methods: A total of 21 female and 29 male first year medical students participated in a small group session on topics covered by didactic lectures two weeks earlier. It was preceded and followed by two multiple choice question (MCQ) tests, in which students were asked to self-assess their likely score. The MCQs used were item analyzed in a previous group and were chosen of matching difficulty and discriminatory indices for the pre- and post-tests., Results: The small group session improved the marks of both genders equally, but female performance was better. The session made the items easier; increasing the difficulty index significantly but there was no significant alteration in the discriminatory index. There was overestimation in the self-assessment of both genders, but male overestimation was greater. The session improved the self-assessment of students in terms of expected marks and expectation of passing., Discussion: Small group session improved the ability of students to self-assess their knowledge and increased the difficulty index of items reflecting students' better performance.