PERCEPTIONS AND FEEDBACK OF TEACHERS ABOUT THE NATIONAL MEDICAL COMMISSION INDIA MANDATED ELECTIVES PROGRAM

Dr. Sujata Sethi*, Parth Uppal, Dr. Aarti, Dr. Sarika Gautam, Dr. Vivek Malik and Dr. Umesh Yadav

ABSTRACT

Electives program was introduced by the National Medical Council of India for the phase 3 MBBS students as mandatory 2-months program, to facilitate learning beyond primary care and to allow students to plan their careers by providing more choices. An online study was conducted involving 111 teacher-facilitators to collect their perceptions, experiences and suggestions for further improvement of the electives program for medical graduates. Results: A total of 35 departments participated in electives posting. Majority of the faculty (89%) were of the opinion that Electives program was a useful addition to MBBS course, and most of them (64%) considered the duration of Electives program to be just right. Most of the faculty members (88%) felt that the addition of electives before completion of MBBS course is an advantage to the students; it provided them with a learning platform that was different from routine helping them to develop self‐directed learning skills and to contemplate about their career choices. Only 3% of the teachers felt that it wasted students‟ time and rest 8% were not sure about the relevance of elective program. Sixty five percent felt that this program not only enhanced their pre-existing knowledge and confidence but also bettered their organizational skills. Conclusions: Teachers perceived electives as a positive entry. Our study highlighted the potential of electives in undergraduate medical curricula by pointing out the possible strengths of the electives.

Keywords: Competency?based medical education, Electives, MBBS, National medical council, Perceptions, Teachers.