Perception of Faculty Regarding Competency-based Medical Education: A Qualitative Study from Mizoram, India

Abstract

Introduction: Competency-based Medical Education (CBME) has been implemented in India for undergraduate medical students since 2019. Understanding faculty perceptions regarding CBME will help identify barriers and suggestions for its better implementation. However, there have been limited studies conducted on this aspect in Northeast India. Aim: To examine the perception of teaching faculties at Zoram Medical College in Mizoram, India, regarding CBME. Additionally, it aims to identify barriers and suggestions for the improved implementation of CBME in the medical college through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Materials and Methods: A qualitative study was conducted at Department of Community Medicine, Zoram Medical College, Falkawn, Mizoram, India, involving FGDs with teaching faculties from May 2021 to April 2022. A total of 11 main FGDs were conducted with 36 faculty members. Each FGD involved a minimum of three participants and a maximum of six participants. The FGDs were recorded using mobile phones, and the audio recordings were transcribed verbatim. Themes were identified and entered into an Excel sheet for analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test/Fisher’s-exact test. Results: The study included faculty members with a mean age of 41.06±7.24 years (range: 31 to 69). The majority of the study population (58.33%) were females, and 20 (55.56%) were Assistant Professors. Small group teaching was reported to be followed by 29 (80.56%) participants, while 32 (88.89%) followed both summative and formative assessment. All faculty members (100%) expressed the need for refresher courses for those who have already undergone training programs. Awareness regarding changes in marks allotment was only 69.44%. The major challenges reported included a shortage of faculty (50%), difficulties in implementing integration (36.1%), competency-related challenges (30.5%), and infrastructurerelated challenges (19.4%). Suggestions for improvement included increasing the number of faculties (97.2%), providing more training and workshops (52.7%), and ensuring uniformity in implementation by the National Medical Council (NMC) (36.1%). Conclusion: The faculty members perceived that CBME can be effectively implemented by increasing the number of faculties, providing frequent training, and ensuring uniformity in implementation across all medical colleges in India.