Friday, May 18, 2012

MCI Graduate Medical Education 2012 comments


Medical Council of India
The MCI has recently kept new regulations on Graduate Medical Education 2012 on their web page for public opinion. I think that we need to take opportunity to give opinion on the major changes.
My personal inputs which I am giving and also putting for brain storming for medical teachers –
First I like to congratulate the MCI for thinking about the quality medical education. In last 12 years there are more than double medical colleges in India and still it will be going to double by 2020 or 2025. So the number of doctors are going to increase, but everybody in medical education has little dilemma about the quality. Since last few years, I tried to get the inputs from various Medical Educators and I found that they are not satisfied with the way of teaching is going on. There is very urgent need to improve it. But the million dollar question is How?
I love to teach sociology and Health. Since long I am observing the changes in society and its impact on the health of the society. Similarly here in medical education, we need to understand the social change theory. Majority of present teachers are seniors and more set with the traditional way of teaching form books with chalk and board or transparencies or now power point slides. But we are forgetting the major social change in last five years of Information Technology. This IT revolution has changed the major access to information. Students have every topics with powerpoint ppt in their tablet or mobile or laptops. But they are not in their brain or not developed the skill. The generations are fast changing. Every year students come with new ideas and with fast implementation of their ideas. Sorry to say but teachers are not able to pace with the students demand. Thus generate the dissatisfactions in students mind.
Here there is very high time to develop faculty for various new innovation and changes. Each college must have atlest 10-12 faculties who are young and know the fast pace of students. The college management should use them for front-liners in medical education. They should use for mentorship programme and should work as catalyst between students and traditional staff. The change has always the resistance. All staff will not accept the changes but young staff are ready to take up challenges. They should use for solution.
So this is the background to accept change in Graduate Medical Education of MCI. Now the salient points in the changes and its impact on the medical education
1.       The MCI has written the competencies to be developed by the Indian Medical Graduate. There are large competencies but still I feel that they missed something about social competencies. They need to understand the Indian society, community, life style, changing society, changing lifestyle, social change, family structure and impact of all on the health of individual and thus society. Without understanding, social aspect student can not completely  learn the Health. I think in professional development along with Ethics, humanities we need to include the social science of health.
2.       MCI wants to introduce the Clinical Training Certification proframme. It is really a great innovation step. During the course students have to get certificate on essential skills like community care, primary care, secondary care and emergencies. But still not getting clear from document, who will design the programme? Will government or college or private body? What will be the duration of this certification? What are the skills to be included in this certificate course? Questions are unanswered.
3.       Log book with skill based training – Its really welcome change. This will increase the accountability of students and the organization towards the goal of Indian Medical Graduate.
4.       The documents wants clear focus on Faculty Development programme. The lots of innovations in teaching and delivering good to the medical students are the need of hour. So its great challenge for medical education unit of each medical college.       
5.       Most welcome step is the Elective of 2 months. But the present document is failed to tell more on elective. Research and community projects and self directed learning are limited key words in this section. If  MCI really wants to utilize these two months there is need to explore the elective topics. Here there is urgent need of inputs form faculty. Is it possible to put elective like posting in geriatric care in Geriatric Home, Nutrition care in Nutrition rehab center, posting in food nutrition department to learn health recipes, software development in medical health sciences and like other.
6.       Last very important step which was long demand of medical teachers that was NEET conducted before internship. The internship period is considered as useless and students are busy with preparation of entrance exams. So they are not able to develop the required skill. This will take care by the NEET in moth of Feb of every year.
These are my salient observation. Please read and give inputs to MCI
Best
Dr. Niraj Pandit
 Professional Counselor Help


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