Evaluation of Foundation Course for First-Year Medical Undergraduates in a Medical College of Eastern India

Abstract

Background: The foundation course (FC) is proposed for undergraduate medical students in India at the beginning of the curriculum. The present study planned to evaluate the FC conducted at Medical College Kolkata, India, by comparing students’ ratings of pre-course and post-course skills. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the self-rated baseline communication skills, interpersonal skills, intellectual skills, self-management skills, learning skills, and management-career skills of recently admitted medical undergraduates and the magnitude of change in self-rated skills by completing the FC. Methods: A random sample of 100 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery students admitted in 2021 were enrolled for this prospective pre-post study. Data collection was electronic by self-administered 39 items on skills in a learning questionnaire. This questionnaire had six subscales, including communication skills, interpersonal skills, intellectual skills, self-management skills, learning skills, and management-career development skills, which were to be rated within 1 - 6, with 1 as the worst and 6 as the best. The outcome was calculated as total and subscale mean with their confidence interval, comparison of mean, and percentage of skill improvement. Results: In this study, 97 respondents completed the questionnaires. The mean age of the subjects was 19.8 years, and 62.9% of the participants were male. The total score and scores for all subscales improved after the FC, with significant improvement in communication (P = 0.001), interpersonal (P = 0.008), management-career development (P = 0.002), and overall learning skills (P = 0.001). Interpersonal and communication skills were significantly higher for students staying at the campus hostel and having knowledge of the local language (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Communication and interpersonal skills improved following the FC at the study institute, although the course was only moderately successful in the improvement of overall learning skills. Hostel living and local vernacular reinforced skills learned in FC.