A study of performance of first MBBS students in internal assessment conducted online during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the progress of medical education. As the crisis continues, it is important to develop valid and reliable methods of assessment. Aims: To assess the impact of the competency-based medical education (CBME) implemented online in the department of physiology during this pandemic on the results of internal assessments conducted online. Materials and Methods: This pilot study was conducted on two hundred First-year MBBS students at Burdwan Medical College after taking Institutional clearance in 6 months. Two internal assessments had to be conducted online in 6 months. We divided our internal assessment sessions which were conducted at three monthly intervals into 4 compartments: multiple-choice questions, short answer type questions, orals, and spots. We conducted two surveys to assess the stress levels of the students and two feedback surveys to assess our teaching program. Statistical analysis: T-test and Chi-square test was used to analyze the data. Results: Assessments scores of students in the first session were 59.68 ± 10.91; assessment scores of students in the second session were 73.21 ± 8.66; P < 0.001 ** (highly significant). Perceived stress score (PSS) in the first survey was 21.36 ± 3.84 and PSS in the second survey was 20.77 ± 4.13; P = 0.144. Thirty students failed in the first session while 1 in the second session, χ2 = 32.1; P < 0.0001**. At the end of 3 months, 11.4% had difficulty in studying physiology, while at the end of 6 months, 8.5% had difficulty in studying physiology with online support. Conclusions: The first MBBS students were able to cope up better with the online mode of teaching with the passage of time and regular feedback provided to them. The results of the present study demonstrate that the department of physiology could implement CBME online and conduct internal assessments also.