Evaluate the impact of foundation course conducted at the level of 1st-year MBBS students at Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh – A student perspective

Abstract

Background: Since 2019, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has started to introduce Competency-based Medical Education, which highlighted the importance of an 1-month duration foundation course. This period is considered necessary for the students to adapt to the new environment in the college. The present study was done to evaluate the impact of foundation course conducted at the entry level of MBBS students. Aims and Objectives: The objectives of the study are as follows: 1. Evaluate the input of the students on all the topics of the Foundation course modules and 2. Based on student’s input, improve the course for future sessions. Materials and Methods: All the new 1st-year medical students admitted in November 2022 were the study subjects. The guidelines laid down by the MCI were followed when implementing the foundation program. A pre-designed Google Form questionnaire, which included items that were appropriate to the research question, was circulated among the students, and input from them was used to evaluate the program. Feedback was received from students using a three-point Likert Scale. Results: It was observed that after the implementation of the 1-month duration foundation course, knowledge of the students as well as the need and the importance regarding all the modules increased and was found to be extremely significant statistically (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Overall, the sessions in the foundation were positively received by the students. The information thus gathered will enable us to enhance the program for the following year and fulfill the objectives of the course.