Niket Verma

Introduction: Student-led seminar (SLS) is an interactive peer-led teaching learning method which offers several advantages for both the student learners and the student tutors including helping the learners to develop self-directed learning (SDL) skills. The aim of this study was to analyze the perception of first year medical undergraduate students towards a recently conducted SDL module in Anatomy utilizing student-led seminars as the teaching learning technique. Materials and Methods: Participation in the study was voluntary and all 100 first year students consented to participate in the study. Informed consent was taken from the participants. The module was implemented across 2 sessions. In session 1, a clinical case scenario on Shoulder Joint was discussed. Students were then asked to identify knowledge gaps and brainstorm in small groups to formulate the learning objectives. Session 2 was conducted as a student-led seminar after a 6-day gap. Student perception was then obtained using a Google Forms based questionnaire. Results: Thematic analysis was conducted for the responses. Major themes that emerged were that the participants learnt, enjoyed and felt motivated. Students appreciated the role played by the facilitators in guiding them and some of the respondents wanted to take up leadership roles for their teams in future sessions. Conclusion: As medical educators, we should not only encourage the acquisition of SDL skills by the learners but also provide a conducive environment for self-directed learning. To our experience the student-led seminar can be an excellent teaching-learning method for incorporating SDL skills among undergraduate medical learners. Keywords: Students Medical, Learning, Education Medical Undergraduate, Student led seminar, Self directed learning.

Introduction: Online discussion forums engage learners in higher-level thinking, allowing them to explore topics in much greater depth. One such formal online professional discussion platform is the two-year Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) Fellowship offered by the Christian Medical College Ludhiana (CMCL) - FAIMER Regional Institute (CMCL-FRI). In this study, we report the results of a survey conducted among FAIMER fellows after attending online discussions on Simulation-based teaching (SBT) to evaluate their change in knowledge levels on the topic. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of pre-moderation and post-moderation questionnaire responses. The questions/statements were designed to cover the entire range of topics planned to be discussed during the moderation month. Results: While the median score between the pre-moderation and post-moderation month questionnaires remained the same, the average score showed an increase from 9.5 to 10.37. The number of fellows who scored the maximum possible score of 12 showed a significant increase from 2.94% to 23.33% between the pre-session to the post-moderation month questionnaires (p-value=0.015). The percentage of respondents who answered the questions correctly in the post-moderation month questionnaire showed an increase over the pre-moderation month questionnaire in 10 out of 12 questions, with the increase being highly significant in 2 out of these 10 questions. Conclusion: Attending online ML web discussions leads to an increase in knowledge levels among participants and is an effective way to introduce medical educationists to essential concepts in medical education.   Keywords: Education Medical, Faculty Medical, Fellowships and Scholarships, Learning.

Introduction: The Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) Curriculum for undergraduate medical education was introduced in India from the 2019 academic session onwards. A new element of the curriculum is the one-month Foundation Course. Aim: To collect and analyse feedback from first year MBBS students regarding their experience with the one-month Foundation Course. Methodology: This study was conducted at LLRM Medical College, Meerut. The Foundation Course timetable was designed as per the guidelines given by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The sessions were attended by newly joined first year MBBS students of 2019 batch. A feedback form designed on Google Forms was used to obtain feedback from the students at the conclusion of the Foundation Course. Results: Out of the total 100 students, 66 responded to the feedback form. Respondents were overall satisfied with the sessions covered under the 6 sections. A majority of 24 respondents were of the opinion that the Field Visit sessions were the best conducted sessions. When asked for suggestions for further improvements in future foundation courses the two major themes generated were ‘Good experience’ and ‘More topics/sessions to be included’. Conclusion: The strength of the first foundation course conducted in this institution lies in its meticulous planning and implementation as well as the enthusiastic participation and positive reception by students. The feedback received from the students will be helpful in further refinement of the course for future implementation. Keywords: Education Medical Undergraduate, Feedback, Curriculum, Learning.

The Medical Council of India has mandated that two-thirds of the teaching schedules must comprise of interactive teaching sessions. Introduced by Elliot Aronson in 1971 in Texas, USA, ‘Jigsaw’ is an interactive and a cooperative, peer-assisted learning technique. The authors conducted Jigsaw classrooms in 3 different settings and utilized an innovative colour coding technique using coloured stickers. The colour coding helped in the seamless and noiseless movement of the participants from the home group to expert groups thereby ensuring a smooth transition from one step of the Jigsaw to the next. The various steps were able to start without any delay due either to any confusion about which group to join or the time wasted in asking the facilitators or other delegates for directions. The colour coding was especially helpful in the conduct of the final step when students must discuss the given sub-topics in the correct sequence. Despite extensive searching, the authors were unable to find any other instance of utilizing colour coding in a Jigsaw classroom. Based on the positive feedback and the advantages of colour coding, the authors feel that it can be replicated in Jigsaw classrooms across the world for better coordination among the students, saving time in transitioning from one step to the next and ensuring that the discussion sticks to the intended sequence. Keywords: Education Medical Undergraduate, Curriculum, Faculty, Students.

Introduction: In the new Competency Based Medical Education curriculum, interactive teaching learning has received a major thrust and it is mandated that two-thirds of the teaching schedules must comprise of interactive teaching sessions. Introduced by Elliot Aronson in 1971, the initial purpose of a Jigsaw classroom was to integrate students from different racial backgrounds. Just like every piece of a jigsaw is important to complete the picture, each student plays an important role in the jigsaw teaching session. Aim: To assess the perception of students and faculty towards a recently conducted Interactive teaching learning session using Jigsaw technique for 1st phase MBBS students in the department of Anatomy. Materials and Methods: All hundred students of 1st phase students of MBBS consented to be a part of the study. A total of 6 facilitators were part of the session. 2 rooms were used with each room having 50 students and seats pre-arranged in 10 groups with 5 seats in each group. Colour coding was followed to facilitate smooth conduct of the session. Students moved from their home groups to expert groups and back to home groups. After this the facilitators randomly selected 1 student from each of the 5 colours and asked them to present their sub-topic in front of the entire group of 50 students. At the end of the discussion, the students were administered an online quiz and an online feedback form. The principal author also conducted individual interviews with the other 5 facilitators to gather feedback. Results: An overwhelming majority of the respondents rated the session very highly. Most of the respondents agreed that apart from gaining knowledge about the topic, attending the Jigsaw session also generated their interest in the topic and motivated them to read further about the topic. Respondents also found the quiz very useful. Conclusion: Cooperative peer assisted learning empowers students and has the potential to reduce student dissatisfaction thereby making the students more independent and self-directed learners from an early stage. These benefits make the Jigsaw technique particularly useful in the setting of limited faculty numbers and limited resources because it requires lesser number of facilitators as compared to many other interactive teaching learning techniques. The authors therefore recommend a wider implementation of interactive teaching methods especially cooperative peer-assisted learning methods across the country and in all the subjects of MBBS. Keywords: Education, Medical, Undergraduate; Curriculum; Students; Peer group.

Introduction: Self Directed Learning (SDL) is one of the key components of adult learning theory proposed by Malcolm Knowles. SDL is an important tool for making medical students lifelong learners. Health professionals need to be self-directed learners to keep pace with exponentially increasing medical knowledge. Aim: This study aims to study the perception of students and faculty towards a recently conducted SDL module for first phase students in Biochemistry. Materials and Methods: The SDL was implemented in 2 sessions. In Session 1 a case scenario of jaundice was presented to the students. Students were asked to formulate learning objectives. The students were provided resource materials and a WhatsApp group was created to motivate the students for self-directed learning and for clarifying any doubts from the students. The students were given 4 days to learn the topic on their own and regular reminders of the timeline were posted on the group. One day before Session 2 students were assessed by 5 MCQs using an online quiz. Session 2 was conducted 5 days later during a 2 hour tutorial slot as a Fishbowl Session. Afterwards, the post-discussion assessment questionnaire was distributed to students and perception analysis questionnaire was distributed to the students and faculty. Results: An overwhelming majority of the students [84%] have found SDL as a more interesting and enthusiastic way of learning. Majority of students found SDL an enjoyable form of learning that gives ample opportunity to interact with the faculty. Students felt that fish bowl discussion helped them to open up and speak in peer group which certainly boosted their self-esteem and confidence and helped them develop the communication skill. 86% students found that application of clinical knowledge is easier when topic is learned in SDL module. Keywords: Curriculum, Education, Medical, Clinical Competence, Students, Medical.

Introduction: During internship students acquire basic clinical skills and hands on clinical experience. Although the interns are supposed to learn these clinical skills under supervision, this is not always possible. Even though the Medical Council of India, in its VISION 2015 Document has emphasised on “Early Clinical Exposure” and clinical training from first year, medical education in India remains highly oriented towards theoretical learning. Theoretical learning of clinical skills and procedures is not sufficient to handle the various clinical scenarios that the interns face everyday. Materials and Methods: A 3 day ‘Skills Boot Camp’ was conducted in the Department of Medicine. The boot camp included skills from (and related to) the speciality of General Medicine. A total of 13 students who entered General Medicine for the first internship posting participated in the boot camp. Results: All 13 participants showed an increase in their knowledge and confidence levels in the targeted skills. All faculty members agreed that after attending the skills boot camp the interns were able to perform their duties efficiently, displayed improved communication skills and were better prepared in dealing with difficult patients and angry relatives. Conclusion: A skills boot camp which targets basic communication and clinical skills was well received by the interns and faculty alike. Both the interns and the faculty agreed that the skills boot camp should be incorporated as a permanent feature of internship and reported high overall satisfaction levels with the camp. Keywords: Internship and residency, Curriculum, Clinical competence, Physician-patient relations.