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Abstract

Purpose: Evaluation of students’ perception of the newly introduced Electives Module by the National Medical Commission, India, within the curriculum of competency-based medical education, effective from admission batch 2019, by gathering their feedback and opinions to assess the effectuation of the program.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Phase III Part II MBBS students of admission batches 2019 and 2020 at two medical institutions in Jaipur, a city in Rajasthan, India. The perceptions were evaluated via a questionnaire designed in alignment with the objectives of the elective modules of the National Medical Commission of India and included quantitative and qualitative questions. Cronbach's alpha analysis was applied in pilot testing of the questionnaire to ensure the reliability of its components and its comprehensibility. Responses from a total of 220 students were analyzed.

Results: The quantitative analysis established that students agree that the program contributed to the development of clinical skills, promoted critical/lateral thinking, and reported overall high levels of satisfaction. The qualitative analysis provided more freedom of expression, where students mentioned the challenges with time allotment, student & faculty adaptation, and limited resources. The Welch’s t-test indicated significant differences in perceptions between the students of the 2019 and 2020 batches, where the junior 2020 batch reported a more seamless execution of the program.

Conclusion: The study was successfully able to establish an overall positive perception of recently implemented Elective modules in the Indian Medical Curriculum, which enabled students to develop a greater depth in their understanding. The analysis has helped in gaining insights into the perception of students regarding the shortcomings of the program, which upon addressal can contribute to a better curriculum design. While the study highlights the relevance of integrating electives in Indian medical education its findings and generalizability is limited due to its cross-sectional nature and its focus on only two institutions in Northwest India necessitating a broader and continuous feedback evaluation in more medical institutions across India which is essential to design the program to the evolving needs and expectations of students and ensure the continuous progression of the program.

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