Elective Choices by Undergraduate Medical Students: What do They Tell about the Future Physician Workforce?: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
Introduction: Graduate Medical Educati on Regulati ons 2019 has tried to create, in the MBBS curriculum itself, opportuniti es for the students to get individualized educati onal experiences, known as electi ves.
Aims:
1. To ascertain the choice of electi ves made by the students
2. To determine the factors that infl uence the student’s choice of electives
Method: This is a cross-secti onal questi onnaire-based study conducted at the ti me of allotment of electi ves to MBBS Phase 3 Part 1 students. An online Google-based self-administered questi onnaire in the English language was distributed to all 100 students of MBBS Phase 3 Part 1. The questi onnaire consisted of electi ve choices from pre/ para clinical (Block 1) and clinical electi ves (Block 2). The students were asked to state their four preferences in each block. Frequencies and percentages were computed for all variables.
Results: All the 100 students of the MBBS 2019 batch parti cipated in the study. The students were in the age group of 20–23 years with 49 males and 51 females. Among the electi ves off ered in the pre/ para clinical subjects, those of Pathology were the most sought aft er and those off ered by Anatomy and Physiology were chosen the least. Among the clinical electi ves, Medicine and Allied were the most opted ones followed by Surgery. Pediatrics and Psychiatry were the categories that turned out to be the least sought aft er. No student opted for electi ves in Community Medicine.
Conclusion: Understanding the thought processes, interests and aspirati ons of our students (the future workforce), and adapti ng accordingly, is very essenti al.
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