MEDICAL EDUCATION & CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

OBJECTIVES

  • To authorize and supervise all the courses offered by the institution.
  • It ensures that the institutional curricular plan and its delivery are aligned to and in accordance to the principles and requirements.
  • Overall in-charge of the curricular delivery.
  • Meets at least 6 times in a year.
  • Provides oversight and support of the curricular program.
  • Responsible for preparation of reports as required by medical council.
  • Consists of Chairperson, MEU Co-ordinator, one representative each from Pre- Clinical , Para- Clinical , Surgical and Medical Speciality, Resource Persons and a Student Representative.

The revised medical curriculum lays emphasis on learning which is competency-based, integrated and student-centred. It aims to restrict didactic teaching to less than one third and promote hands-on training, symposia, seminars, small group discussions, problem-oriented and problem-based discussions and self-directed learning.

Medical educators have the responsibility of training the guardians of the health of the people of the country. The MBBS program forms the foundation of the health delivery system in providing adequate, appropriate and cost-effective quality care to the community. Students/ learners are expected to fulfill their personal and professional goals to meet the expectations of the medical profession, society and Nation. Learners are also expected to have good leadership quality in challenging situations besides acquisition of new skills.

Medical council of India has introduced a new revised medical curriculum also known as competency based undergraduate curriculum for the Indian Medical Graduates (IMG) in 2018 which was implemented in 2019 to meet all the above-described criteria for undergraduates. The curriculum clearly expresses the competencies that students have to learn, with clearly defined teaching-learning strategies and effective methods of assessment. The areas identified in the new curriculum are such that they would be helpful to initiate the process of curricular reforms from the first year of the undergraduate course. These areas are Foundation course, Early Clinical Exposure, Integrated teaching & Learning & Skill development & training.

a) Foundation Course: This is a one month to orient medical learners to the MBBS program and provide them with requisite knowledge, communication (including electronic), technical and language skills. The major components of the Foundation Course include:

  • Orientation Program: This includes orienting students to all the components mentioned in MBBS program
  • Skills Module (Basic): This involves skill sessions such as Basic Life Support, First Aid, Universal precautions and biomedical waste and safety management that students need to be trained prior to entering the patient care areas.
  • Field visit to Community and Primary health centre: These visits provide orientation to the care delivery through community and primary health centres, and include interaction with health care workers, patients and their families.
  • Professional development including Ethics: This is an introduction to the concept of Professionalism and Ethics. This component will provide students with understanding that clinical competence, communication skills and sound ethical principles are the foundation of professionalism. Orientation to Professionalism and Ethics will continue as the AETCOM module after the first month of the MBBS course and throughout the first year, with reinforcement of the various components introduced.
  • Sports and Extracurricular activities: These have been included, in order to demonstrate the importance of work-life balance in a demanding profession, and provide an opportunity for students to have compulsory physical activity and to showcase their talents.
  • Enhancement of Language / Computer skills / Learning Skills: These are sessions to provide opportunity for the students from diverse backgrounds and language competence to undergo training for speaking and writing English, fluency in local language and basic computer skills.

b) Early clinical exposure: The clinical training would start in the first year, focusing on communication, basic clinical skills and professionalism. There would be sufficient clinical exposure at the primary care level and this would be integrated with the learning of basic and laboratory sciences.

c) Integrated teaching and learning: The innovative new curriculum has been structured to facilitate horizontal and vertical integration between and among disciplines, bridge the gaps between theory & practice, between hospital based medicine and community medicine.

d) Skill development and learning (throughout curriculum): A mandatory & desirable comprehensive list of skills has been planned and would be recommended for the Indian Medical Graduate. Certification of skills would be necessary before licensure.

e) Electives: The aim of adding electives is to allow flexible learning options in the curriculum and may offer a variety of options including clinical electives, laboratory postings or community exposure in areas that students are not normally exposed as a part of regular curriculum. This will also provide opportunity for students to do a project, enhance self-directed learning, critical thinking and research abilities.

(f) Attitude, Ethics and Communications (AETCOM) module:

Medical Council of India has proposed new teaching learning approaches including a structured longitudinal programme on attitude, ethics and communication.

AETCOM module has been prepared as a guide to facilitate institutions and faculty in implementing a longitudinal program that will help students acquire necessary competence in the attitudinal, ethical and communication domains. It offers a framework of competencies that students must achieve. It also offers approaches to teaching learning methods.

(g) Sports and Extracurricular: This component is introduced throughout the curriculum which will help in maintaining overall physical and mental well-being of the students.

Emphasis is made on alignment and integration of subjects both horizontally and vertically while respecting the strengths and necessity of subject-based instruction and assessment.

In particular, the curriculum provides for early clinical exposure, electives and longitudinal care. Skill acquisition is an indispensable component of the learning process in medicine. The curriculum reinforces this aspect by necessitating certification of certain essential skills.

The importance of ethical values, responsiveness to the needs of the patient and acquisition of communication skills is underscored by providing dedicated curriculum time in the form of a longitudinal program based on Attitude, Ethics and Communication (AETCOM) competencies.

In addition to the above, an attempt has been made to allow students from diverse educational streams and backgrounds to transition appropriately through a Foundation Course. Dedicated time has been allotted for self-directed learning and co-curricular activities. The thrust in the new regulations is continuation and evolution of thought in medical education making it more learner-centric, patient-centric, gender- sensitive, outcome -oriented and environment appropriate. The result is an outcome driven curriculum which conforms to global trends.

Link for CBME timetable:- CBME timetable for MBBS 2021 batch


TIME SCHEDULE OF MBBS COURSE WHICH IS SUGGESTED AS PER NEW CURRICULUM IS GIVEN BELOW

Subjects Lectures
(Hours)
SGT/Tutorial/IT/
Pract (Hours)
SDL
(Hours)
Total
(Hours)
Anatomy 220 415 40 675
Physiology 160 310 25 495
Biochemistry 80 150 20 250
ECE 90 - - 90
Community Medicine 20 27 5 52
Sports and extra-curricular activities - - - 60
FA and Term Examinations - - - 80
Total 1750