PERCEPTIONS ABOUT COMPETENCY-BASED MEDICAL EDUCATION IN POSTGRADUATE CURRICULUM AMONG POSTGRADUATES OF A GOVERNMENT MEDICAL COLLEGE, KAKINADA, ANDHRA PRADESH

Abstract

Competency-based Medical Education (CBME) has been introduced in Indian medical education by the Medical Council of India (MCI) in 2019, for both Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) curricula. CBME curriculum is more learner-friendly and patient-oriented and enables students to acquire desired skills and competencies required to meet the health needs of society. This study is done with the objective to know the perceptions of postgraduates on the implementation of the CBME PG curriculum. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in November 2022 among 105 postgraduates of a Government Medical College. Permissions required were taken and data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire with basic information and a Structured Feedback Questionnaire (SFQ) for CBME PG curriculum containing curriculum, assessment, support, and perception components. Data was entered and analysed in MS Excel, 2016 using descriptive statistics. Results: Preliminary analysis suggests that nearly 45% of the postgraduates have heard about CBME in PG curriculum, and nearly 80% of them had an academic schedule but a majority of them were not competency-based. 100% responded that adequate opportunities were available for self-directed learning and 90.5% responded that faculty helped them in research activities. 79% agreed that internal assessment schedule in advance enabled them to prepare well and, having a good team to work with (86.7%) was of major support. Conclusion: Implementation of CBME in PG curriculum requires attention and focused effort