IAP Journal of Medical Education and Research

Message from IAP Members

Roosy Aulakh — 2024-09-06

Messages from IAP Members

Embracing Transformational Change in Medical Education

Roosy Aulakh — 2024-09-07

Medical education is experiencing significant changes both in India and across the globe. These trends reflect the evolving needs of the healthcare sector and the increasing demand for competent and compassionate healthcare professionals. As we stand on the brink of transformational change in medical education, it is crucial that all stakeholders come together to drive this process forward. By embracing innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to excellence, we can shape a medical education system that meets the needs of our people and prepares doctors to deliver high-quality healthcare for all. One key trend is the shift towards competency-based education. Traditional methods of rote memorization are being replaced by a focus on practical skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. This ensures that medical graduates are better prepared to meet the complex challenges of modern healthcare.

Elective Choices by Undergraduate Medical Students: What do They Tell about the Future Physician Workforce?: A Cross-Sectional Study

Sandhya Chauhan — 2024-09-07

Introducing Portfolios for Family Adoption Program for Undergraduates

Tanvir Kaur Sidhu — 2024-06-30

Simulation-Based Teaching Using Standardized Patients for Advanced Communication Skills Among Medical Undergraduates

Lavanya K. M — 2024-09-07

Utility of Video-Assisted Learning for Improving Performance Skills in Anthropometry among Undergraduate Students Posted in the Pediatrics Department

G. Rajkumar — 2024-09-07

Artificial Intelligence Tools for Academics in Medicine

Somashekhar Nimbalkar — 2024-09-07

Changing Roles of a Teacher in Medical Education

N Ananthakrishnan — 2024-09-07

A number of factors have disturbed the teaching/ learning dynamics in health professions educati onal insti tuti ons. These have necessitated wide and all-encompassing changes in the roles required of a teacher
working in this environment. The traditi onal six roles have doubled to twelve with increasing student strength per class, decreasing availability of teachers, lack of faciliti es, demands of the CBME curriculum, lack of moti vati on in students and other factors. This paper focuses on these changed roles of a teacher without which the system will fail in its eff orts to produce competent medical professions which are a must for the country and for fulfi lling the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN related to health as enunciated in 2015.

Clinical Supervision for Quality Teaching Practices Among Educators of Health Professionals

Neeti Bhat — 2024-09-09

Current Dilemmas in Medical Education in India

Daljit Singh Utaal — 2024-09-09

Medical educati on in India has undergone a rapid transiti on in recent years. Some of the developments have brought up issues which need deliberati on. Since the viewpoints and needs of the stakeholders are dynamic, it is important to discuss the various aspects criti cally and with an open mind.

Use of Distant Simulated Patients for Formative Assessment in Pediatrics

Chinmay Shah — 2024-09-09

The COVID-19 outbreak created a major dent in the lives of all. It led to the suspension of classroom examinati ons in all educati onal insti tuti ons. The Department of Pediatrics implemented a novel online examinati on using Distant Simulated Pati ents (SP) and received encouraging student feedback. Here is a model for conti nuing clinical practi cal examinati on and result declarati on during the crisis.

Elevating Medical Education and Research in India: A Call for Quality Publications, Rigorous Promotion Criteria, and Equitable Funding

Mihir P. Rupani — 2024-09-09

In the dynamic landscape of Indian medical educati on and research, a profound analysis reveals a dichotomy of challenges and opportuniti es. This perspecti ve delves into the complexiti es of quality publications emerging from medical colleges, the lenient criteria for academic promotion, the indispensable role of reviewers, the impact of digitalizati on, and the accessibility of arti cle processing charge waivers
in esteemed journals. Quality publicati ons are the linchpin of academic progress, acti ng as conduits for disseminati ng crucial knowledge, best practi ces, and innovati ons. However, the ease with which these publicati ons are attained, and their pivotal role in academic advancement pose intriguing questions.1,2 Behind every published paper are the reviewers, the unsung heroes of scienti fi c publishing. These experts, oft en unsung gurus in the scienti fi c community, off er their experti se altruisti cally, driven solely by their dedicati on to advancing knowledge. Astonishingly, these reviewers, despite their monumental contributi ons, remain unpaid volunteers, oft en sacrifi cing their ti me and eff ort without fi nancial recompense. Research training for postgraduate students (PGs) presents a unique challenge.

NExT - A Game Changer of Competency-Based Medical Education?

Pramila Menon — 2024-09-09

National Medical Commission (NMC ) declared the NExT mock test 2023 on July 28 by issuing government regulation. But continuously faced with a lot of resistance from medical students and faculty, it was deferred. The reasons cited included need of prior preparation for examination, logistics and determining the curriculum, type, administrative agency and format of the mock and final exam. Furthermore, students wanted more time for preparation for the new exam. The resident doctors in India thanked NMC for the step of deferral of exam and are hoping for the student friendly draft. NExT examination is planned for granting registration to doctors as well as the basis for postgraduate seat allocation which will replace MBBS final examination and the National Eligibility Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG).It is believed to be one of the best solution for bringing uniformity to medical education to get global recognition. This assessment is nothing but the final journey of competency based medical education what was probably envisioned by all expert medical educationists in India to bring uniformity in medical education.

The NExT Wave: Raising the Bar for Healthcare Professionals

Rutam Vaishnav — 2024-09-09

In accordance with the Nati onal Medical Council (NMC) Act of 2019, the government has set forth plans to introduce a comprehensive Nati onal Exit Test (NExT). NExT is designed to serve a dual role i.e., acti ng as a
singular examinati on for certi fying the eligibility of medical graduates to grant the license to practi ce modern medicine and determining the eligibility for the purpose of allocati on of postgraduate residencies.1 It aims to bring objecti vity in the assessment and ensure minimum standards in the medical educati on being provided all throughout the country in line with One Nati on- One Examinati on. The NMC aims to conduct the examinati on in 2 steps. Step 1 shall be a Multi ple Choice Questi on (MCQ) based screening test involving six papers and applied aspects of all the basic science and para-clinical subjects. In comparison to the current MCQs-based examinati ons, it is expected to include MCQs of higher order including clinical vignett es, extended matching type, problem-solving and applicati on-based questions. Step 2 shall be a practi cal-based examinati on which would assess the expected skills of an Indian Medical Graduate (IMG). The merit for postgraduate admission would be solely based on the marks of Step 1. Results of Step 2 shall be declared as Pass/ Fail only.

Clinical Competence: Knowledge or Skill or Both?

Tejinder Singh — 2024-09-09

An Update on Graduate Medical Education Regulations-2023

Priyanka Gupta — 2024-09-09

There has been a paradigm shift in Medical Educati on in India since the introduction of the Graduate Medical Educati on Regulati ons (GMER) 2019 by the Nati onal Medical Commission (NMC). A new set of GMER was released and gazett ed in the year 2023. In this short report, the authors have summarized the changes in GMER 2023 with reference to GMER 2019.