Medical Council Of India Research Articles

Perceptions of the preparedness of medical graduates for their responsibilities as “physicians of first contact”: a pilot study

The objectives of the medical graduate training program are laid down by the Medical Council of India (MCI) since 1997 that was subjected to amendment till 2012. The graduate medical students are envisaged to provide first contact care inclusive of preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative aspect of medicine. However, significant gap in the clinical skills of graduate doctors in India are echoed by the team of medical education experts. This study aims to explore the perceptions of medical graduates in their preparedness towards their role as first contact clinicians and in management of common problems. Qualitative methodology was used to explore the perceptions, experiences and ideas of medical graduates during medical training, internship and tenure in a Family medicine unit. The themes emerged from the data include disappointment with the lack of opportunity for experiential learning and clinical reasoning, passiveness and perceived incompetence in clinical work and appreciation of learning opportunities in Family Medicine unit. The participants’ perception of lack of confidence in their role of first contact physician reflects the opportunities in the training schedule that needs further research and intervention to improve medical graduates’ preparedness for their role as primary care providers in India.

Problems of medical education in India

Background: Indian medical education system is one of the largest in the world. Medical colleges in India have rapidly proliferated in the past 25 years, doubling since 1980 for a current total of 422, each associated with university, producing 52565 MBBS doctors each year. Medical education is facing problems and challenges for quality education in the countries. Article is an attempt to identify and analyze the current problems and challenges of medical education in India. Methods: Cross-sectional data collected over a period of three months from September 2015 to December 2015 from various sources including medical colleges regarding problems of medical education have been analysed and discussed in details to find out the possible solutions and actions required at regulatory authority including Government, institutions, administration, faculty and medical students. Results: To achieve doctor- patient ratio, Indian Government is emphasizing to increase admission and training of medical students. One third of these doctors leave India every year for residency training and/or practice abroad. The quality of Indian medical education and of physicians it produces therefore has implications for entire world. An exploding number of medical colleges; a skewed distribution of these around the country; devaluation of merit in admission, particularly in private institutions; increasing capitation fees; admission of suboptimal quality of students with poor motivation; an alarming shortage of medical teachers, with those who exist being untrained in modern teaching learning technology; great shortage of patients/ clinical materials in many institutions; outdated curriculum; a less than desirable evaluation system and poor internship supervision all contribute to this downhill trend. Accreditation by Medical Council of India (MCI) emphasizes documentation of infrastructures and resources with doubtful assessment system. Conclusions: Discussion of all medical problems and challenges faced in medical education required to be addressed at various levels. Roles of Government, accreditation system, institutions and faculty, legal issues including selection of medical students are required to address the problems.

Overview of Legal Importances of Medical Recording

Medical recording is assuming more and more importance in the recent days due to increasing mistrust between the doctor and the patient. The Courts and the Medical Council of India are relying mainly on the medical records in deciding the fate of the doctor and his team in alleged negligence cases. However in practical reality, the medical recording is not given due attention, especially the new doctors, though many are performing their duties with diligence, medical recording is not done with the same care and attention. Here the authors have made an effort to compile all the laws and legislations where medical recording is the basis of execution. It is a bird's eye view of many related laws which are intended to awaken the doctor and supporting staff towards diligent medical recording.

Reforms in Medical Education by Medical Council of India: Are We Loosing Precious Time in Implementation

Reforms in Medical Education by Medical Council of India: Are We Loosing Precious Time in Implementation

Use of prelecture assignment to enhance learning in pharmacology lectures for the 2nd year medical students

Objectives:Majority of teaching hours allotted by the Medical Council of India in pharmacology are utilized in the form of didactic lecture. Although these lectures are an excellent tool to deliver the information to a large group of students, it usually ends up as a one-sided teaching session with most students being the passive listeners. To make these lectures interesting and effective, we introduced the students to prelecture assignment (PLA) in the form of clinical case before the delivery of the lecture.Methods:This prospective educational trial was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology with undergraduate medical students in their 2nd year of their professional course. They were divided into two groups of 75 each. Group A was provided the PLA before the lecture. Group B students directly attended the lecture, sans the PLA. Multiple-choice questions-based test was conducted 2 days after the lecture. Students who failed to complete the assignment and were absent from the lecture and test were excluded from the study. Feedback from the students was obtained after the lecture. The scores in the test and responses were compiled and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results were expressed in percentages and as mean ± standard deviation as applicable. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:Fifty-six students from Group A and 42 from Group B appeared for the test. The students who were given PLA scored better. They felt more confident in answering and understood the topic better than the students of other group.Conclusion:PLA is a useful teaching-learning tool. The pharmacology lectures are interactive, interesting, and easy to understand with this tool.

Access to palliative care: insights into ground realities post-2014 amendment to NDPS Act

Medical practice today is disease-focused, ignoring the universally accepted definition of health as not just the absence of disease, but the promotion of complete physical, social and mental well-being. Generations of doctors in India have not studied modern pain management, and palliative care is practically unknown in most parts of the country, causing patients to be rejected by hospitals and doctors when they need help the most. The draconian Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985, outdated medical and nursing education, lack of public awareness and lack of clear governmental policy are responsible for this sorry state of affairs. The development of a community-oriented palliative care network eventually led to the formulation of a state palliative care policy in Kerala. The acceptance of palliative care as a medical specialty by the Medical Council of India and introduction of a postgraduate degree course in palliative medicine in 2010, the development of a National Programme for Palliative Care in 2012 by the Ministry of Health of the Government of India, and the amendment of the NDPS Act in 2014 have been major positive developments which have the potential to change the current state of affairs. However, these recent achievements represent but one step in the right direction. An improvement in palliative care education, a realistic palliative care policy and implementation of the NDPS Amendment Act are necessary for doing away with the gross, needless violation of the human right to life with dignity.

Competency-based medical education: An overview and application in pharmacology.

Competency-based medical education (CBME) is gaining momentum across the globe. The Medical Council of India has described the basic competencies required of an Indian Medical Graduate and designed a competency-based module on attitudes and communication. Widespread adoption of a competency-based approach would mean a paradigm shift in the current approach to medical education. CBME, hence, needs to be reviewed for its usefulness and limitations in the Indian context. This article describes the rationale of CBME and provides an overview of its components, i.e., competency, entrustable professional activity, and milestones. It elaborates how CBME could be implemented in an institute, in the context of basic sciences in general and pharmacology in particular. The promises and perils of CBME that need to be kept in mind to maximize its gains are described.

India's foreign medical graduates: an opportunity to correct India's physician shortage.

India's current estimated doctor-population ratio of 1:1700 against targeted ratio of 1: 1000 shows a clear shortage. A mismatch in number of medical aspirants and available seats, intense competition and unaffordable costs of medical education prompt many Indian students to pursue training opportunities abroad. Many later return to India, and these foreign medical graduates (FMGs) must pass a qualification test which is a required to practice medicine in India. This review undertakes a situational analysis of FMGs in India and suggests a roadmap to better utilize this resource pool of physicians. A thorough literature search was carried out using Google Scholar, PubMed and websites of the Central Board of Secondary Education and Medical Council of India. Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) data was obtained from India's National Board of Examinations. From 2002 to 2014, growth was seen in the number of FMGs who took the FMGE, with more having trained in China than any other country. However, typically only 25% of FMGs pass the FMGE. In 2013, 9,700 FMGs were unable to pass the FMGE to enter practice in India. At least 7,500 FMG physicians are unable to become licensed each year for failure to pass the FMGE, including those who retake and again fail the exam. There are possible solutions. Additional training and hands-on apprenticeships can be introduced to help FMGs build their skills to then be able to pass the FMGE. FMGs can now learn by participating as observers in the established programs. Opportunities also exist for FMGs to work outside of clinical care, including in research, hospital administration and public health. As of now, FMGs are an untapped resource and lost opportunity to a country with shortages of physicians.

The revised guidelines of the Medical Council of India for the academic promotions: Need for a rethink.

The revised guidelines of the Medical Council of India for the academic promotions: Need for a rethink.

The revised guidelines of the Medical Council of India for academic promotions: Need for a rethink

The revised guidelines of the Medical Council of India for academic promotions: Need for a rethink

Medicine and law

This is presumably the only book from India written on this important subject by a High Court judge. With that background, the book is, expectedly, written as per proper legal standards and is in the usual format of law books. However, the content and style is such that even doctors without a background in law can gain much from it. The book is quite comprehensive, however, some crucial aspects have not found a coverage in the book. For instance, ‘PIL in health’ is a vast and important subject and ought to have been specifically included. Another important topic which should have been covered is ‘Health as a fundamental right’. Health is an implied fundamental right within the broadened scope of Article 21 as per many judgments, but unless it is made a specific fundamental right, as in the case of education, the health care scene in India may not improve. The PCPNDT Act, 1994, has not been adequately covered. What is lacking is a critical analysis of the Act. There are serious reasons why this Act should either be scrapped or drastically amended, preferably the former. Furthermore, the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, and the various State medical council acts have also not been focused on as regards the following issues: (i) The forced multiple State Medical Council registrations even though a person registered with one State council and thereby having his name on the Indian Medical Register is legally competent to practice anywhere in India; and (ii) The jurisdiction of the MCI, which is an appellate authority as per the Code of Ethics Regulations, 2002, to initiate initial trials. This has been a contentious issue and has even been the subject of different High Court judgments. However, the picture is still not clear. In Chapters 1 and 2, titled “Medical Education” and “Medical Ethics” respectively, the author has discussed the issue comprehensively, including various judgments related to capitation fee in the former and advance directives regarding “Not to Resuscitate” in the latter. The question of permanent vegetative state, including the Aruna Shanbaug judgment, has been discussed in sufficient detail. Chapter 3, titled “Consent”, deals with this important topic at great length. Doctors need to read it carefully. Chapter 4, titled “Doctor in Courts” is quite comprehensive and mainly discusses the role of the doctor as an expert witness in civil as well as criminal cases. This chapter also contains notes on the Motor Accident Claims Tribunals (MACT) cases. Chapter 5, titled “Medical Negligence” is the one that is of utmost concern and importance for doctors. The subject has been discussed in great detail over 55 pages and covers wide case law. Medical negligence is rightly discussed separately as tort and as a penal offence. The difference between deficiency in service and medical negligence has been clearly explained and a special reference has been made to the failure of sterilization in relation to alleged negligence. Chapter 6, titled “Assisted Reproduction” is timely and is appropriately detailed. More and more cases related to in vitro fertilization (IVF) are likely to come before the courts in future. The chapter 7 on sex selection and medical termination of pregnancy is brief and looks rather incomplete with just five pages devoted to the PCPNDT Act especially when there are serious concerns regarding the utility, desirability, purpose and efficacy of having such an Act. A critical review of the Act from the perspective of the medical profession was needed. However, it is understandable that the author has no experiential perspective on this. Chapter 8 and 9, titled “Medical Research and Patents” and “Organ Transplant” respectively have been written well while chapter 10, titled “Sexuality: The Other Side” contains detailed discussion of, in short, the “Third Sex”. Such issues are often missing from Law-Medicine books and its inclusion shows wide grasp and span of the author. Chapter 11, titled “Cosmetic Enhancement and Magic Remedies” looks misplaced in its grouping. A legitimate superspecialty like plastic / reconstructive surgery has been unseemly clubbed with an illegal act of magic remedies. Lastly the chapter 12 titled “Medical Insurance” is appropriate and covers the so called Mediclaim policies as well as the professional indemnity insurance policies. ICMR has been written as MCIR at many places (pages 412, 459, 463). This certainly looks a bit odd. However, there are very few mistakes of language otherwise. On the whole, the book is exhaustive, well written, informative, up-to-date and lucid in its presentation and will be a welcome addition to law libraries. It would also provide useful reading to medical professionals.

Advances in emergency medicine research in India: abstracts from the EMCON 2014 international conference

Within India, Emergency Medicine (EM) is a rapidly evolving and expanding specialty. EM has received increased recognition by the national government the past few years with the accreditation of training positions through the Medical Council of India and the National Board of Examinations. These recent advances have been gained through more than a decade of efforts by the Society for Emergency Medicine, India (SEMI) along with partner organizations such as the International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM), the American Academy for Emergency Medicine in India (AAEMI) and the Global Academy of Emergency Medicine (GAEM). SEMI sponsored India’s premier Emergency Medicine conference, EMCON 2014, in Mumbai from November 6-9, 2014. This meeting attracted over 1,200 delegates both nationally and internationally. The importance of this meeting was highlighted by the advancement of clinical research now being conducted by EM physicians across India. Both AAEMI and GAEM sponsored the research section at EMCON 2014. Over 170 abstracts were submitted, and fourteen of the top papers from the conference are presented as a supplement in this journal. As the specialty develops, new concerns are being raised and brought to the forefront. Many of these issues are widespread to emergency medicine globally, but many are also matters that are endemic to India and can now be addressed.

The 2015 Academic College of Emergency Experts in India’s INDO-US Joint Working Group White Paper on establishing an Academic Department and Training Pediatric Emergency Medicine Specialists in India

The concept of pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) is virtually nonexistent in India. Suboptimally organized prehospital services substantially hinder the evaluation, management, and subsequent transport of the acutely ill and/or injured child to an appropriate facility. Furthermore, the management of the ill child at the hospital level is often provided by overburdened providers who, by virtue of their training, lack experience in the skills required to effectively manage pediatric emergencies. Finally, the care of the traumatized child often requires the involvement of providers trained in different specialities, which further impedes timely access to appropriate care. The recent recognition of Doctor of Medicine in Emergency Medicine as an approved discipline of study as per the Indian Medical Council Act provides an unprecedented opportunity to introduce PEM as a formal academic program in India. PEM has to be developed as a 3 year superspeciality course after completion of MD Diplomate of National Board (DNB) Pediatrics or MD DNB in EM. The National Board of Examinations that accredits and administers postgraduate and postdoctoral programs in India also needs to develop an academic program DNB in PEM. The goals of such a program would be to impart theoretical knowledge, training in the appropriate skills and procedures, development of communication and counseling techniques, and research. In this paper, the Joint Working Group of the Academic College of Emergency Experts in India (JWG ACEE India) gives its recommendations for starting 3 year DM DNB in PEM, including the curriculum, infrastructure, staffing, and training in India. This is an attempt to provide an uniform framework and a set of guiding principles to start PEM as a structured superspeciality to enhance emergency care for Indian children.

Prescription Audit in Geriatric Hypertensive Patients

Introduction: The Medical Council of India had passed the order, recently, to all the physicians in our country about writing all components of the prescriptions for diagnosed patients. The earlier studies show that the elderly people commonly suffer from hypertension and diabetes mellitus. However, some components of a prescription are not written by few physicians in a given set-up. Therefore, an auditing of prescriptions is needed to ensure proper utilization of the medications by the treated patients. Objective: To verify whether the Hospital based prescriptions were in accordance with the national prescription guideline. Methodology: A prospective observational study for six months carried out in in-patients who were admitted to general medicine. The study protocol was approved by the human ethical committee. The patients of both sex and aged <60years and diagnosed as suffering from hypertension as per JNC -7 guidelines were enrolled. The prescriptions were reviewed for physician information and advice(Name, signature),patient information (Name,Age,Gender, clinicaldata(diagnosis) drug information(dose, frequency, route of administration)and legibility.Data was collected into case report form. All data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results and Discussion: 150 prescriptions were analyzed, out of which 53% were male patientsand 47% were female patients.All prescriptions were containing the basic information of the patients and physician, complete diagnosis of clinical signs and symptoms.The Drugs were prescribed in brand names in majority of the prescription (80.6%).The most commonly prescribed antihypertensive was CCB like Amlodipine and combination therapy was aRb+DIURETICS like Telmisartan and Hydrochlorothiazide. 86.6%prescriptions were legible to read. 53.3%prescriptionswere complete in terms of dose, route, frequency and dosage form. Medication to be taken in relation with food timings were mentioned only in 43.3% cases. 59% of prescription were containing physician advice on diet.In 97% prescriptions follow up date was documented by physician. The average cost of medicine per month for a patient was Rs 231.76. Conclusion: We could conclude that certain aspects of the prescription writing failed to comply with the Prescription guidelines. Prescription writing is to be improved so that a health system could be developed that would have more benefits and less unwanted effects.Cost can be minimized by increasing the compliance and adherence of patients to medicines by providing awareness through social media and newspaper.

Awareness of Medical Research Ethics among Medical students

The present study was carried out to observe the knowledge of Medical research ethics among medical students. The study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Bidar Institute of Medical sciences, Bidar. 200 male (n=100) and female (n=100) second, third &amp; final year MBBS students were included in the study. The standard questionnaire was used to assess participants' knowledge in research ethics. Knowledge of both male andfemalestudentsregardingresearchethics.Inourstudywehaveobservedthat veryfewstudentshasknowledgeabouttheresearchethics.However, comparatively female students are having better knowledge about research ethics than males. We conclude that overall knowledge about Medical research ethics in medical students was very poor and there is a need to introduce research ethics as one mandatory subject in medical syllabus, as research ethics has applicability. Medical council of India must consider this aspect and introduce a Research ethics department in Medical field along with other departments.

Project-based faculty development: Indian perspectives.

Faculty development (FD) is considered a vital input to maintain and improve the quality of teaching.[1] In developing countries like ours, the challenge is 2-fold – on one hand, there is shortage of medical schools to produce the required number of graduates and on the other hand, unprepared teachers are not able to deliver quality medical education. The issue has warranted attention since last many years and culminated in the establishment of National Teacher Training Centers (NTTCs) at 5 medical schools in the country in 1976. These NTTCs used to impart a 6–10 days long program covering various aspects of teaching and learning.[2] However, most of these courses were one contact courses, without much follow-up, although at some places, the concept of a project work was introduced. There were some gains in terms of many teachers opting for these courses and later duplicating them in their own institutions. However, there was no proper follow-up of these programs in terms of documenting their impact or effectiveness. Over the years, many other institutions like All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi also ventured into this area with a focused approach like assessment. A large number of teachers were “trained,” but again the content delivery remained limited to the contact sessions only, with hardly any follow-up. The Medical Council of India in its 1997 regulations also mandated the establishment of medical education units in each college, which were required to conduct in-house training sessions.[3] Most of the times, these sessions were a replication of the training received at NTTCs or other avenues and got standardized as a 3 day workshop format, with a day each being devoted to objectives, teaching learning and assessment. FD is an expensive affair with both direct and indirect costs contributing to the burden. Its equivalent – human resource development – is often used in the industry as a means to maintain quality and the impact is often monitored. The utility of any program will manifest only if the participants take the knowledge and skills back to the workplace. This process called transfer of training is crucial for the success of any such initiative. It is estimated that not more than 20% of what is learned is actually used at the workplace.[4] We do not have any data for FD, but it is reasonable to assume that the figure would not be more than this. There are many reasons for the lack of transfer,[5] the prominent ones being training which is conceptually different from actual working conditions. In the year 2005, Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) established its first regional institute (FRI) for FD in Mumbai, followed by one in 2006 in Ludhiana. The curriculum used in FRIs was different from the programs being offered till now,[6] in the sense that it was a longitudinal program spanning over 2 years (and even longer if the participant so desired) and emphasized the importance of educational networking and educational leadership, in addition to basing its curriculum on project-based learning model. An educational innovation project is an essential component of FAIMER training (in addition to being one of the selection criteria). The fellows propose the outline of an innovation project with their application. During the contact sessions, the faculty and peers help them to modify their project in an implementable shape. A large chunk of training is devoted to project management and evaluation with use of program evaluation tools. It is based on the assumption that carrying out the project will provide the fellows an opportunity for hands on applying what they learn. In addition, it will also bring visibility to the efforts being made across various institutions. The regulatory authority of medical education in India – Medical Council of India – also gave an impetus to FD by initiating a nationwide FD program in 2009 named as basic course,[7] with the objective of covering almost 100% of the medical teachers to basic concepts of education. The program was well accepted and 5 years down the line, over 20,000 teachers have been covered. Encouraged by the success, the Medical Council of India came out with an advanced course, now renamed as Fellowship in Medical Education in 2014,[7] which again is based on the concept of project based learning. In this special issue of the journal on the theme of “Innovations in Medical Education Technology,” you will find examples of various innovative projects carried out by fellows for one of these programs. They may not be as rigorous as randomized controlled trials, but they indicate a trend of change and a small effort by enthusiastic teachers to make medical education better so that it can help us to produce a healthy India.

Perception of Medical Faculties towards Early Clinical Exposure and MCI Vision 2015 Documents in Western Maharashtra.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has advocated early clinical exposure for students in medical colleges. In its 'Vision-2015' document for further reforms in undergraduate medical education, the MCI underlined the need for clinical teaching from first year onwards in medical colleges. Our aim was to collect and analyse perception of medical faculties towards early clinical exposure and MCI Vision 2015 and to study the awareness, depth and interest among medical faculties towards these changes. We used 10-item self developed survey questionnaires, which was validated from experts in medical education. 10-item questionnaire was based on awareness, depth and interest among medical faculties towards early clinical exposure and MCI Vision 2015 documents released by MCI in 2011. Qualitative data was assessed using percentage scale. We were approached to 182 preclinical medical faculties, however responses were received from 127 medical faculties from first year medical course subjects from six different college's viz. two from Deemed University, two from Government sector and two from private sector but affiliated to Maharashtra University of Health sciences, Nasik, India. A 94.48% faculty members were aware regarding MCI Vision 2015 documents released by MCI in 2011. Average 12% faculties could answer specific approach MCQs based on MCI Vision 2015 documents. However, 82.67% faculties agreed early clinical exposure will be definitely helpful if implemented in curriculum. The present work underlines need of special coaching and attention towards this important issue in medical education.

Biochemistry teaching: It's time to prepare for multidisciplinary integration

Background: Biochemistry is taught for 1st MBBS students without much emphasis on its relevance to medicine. This makes the subject less interesting for students. Medical Council of India (MCI) in its revised regulations on graduate medical education has started the process of integration of medical teaching. Objectives: Study intends to identify the areas of biochemistry subject for multidisciplinary, integrated teaching that will help in framing an effective educational programme. Methodology: MBBS curriculum based on the Medical Council of India regulations on graduate medical education 1997 was obtained. Course content of each subject was discussed with two subject experts of concerned speciality. Subject content that overlaps with biochemistry or topics that need preliminary knowledge of biochemistry for better understanding of concerned subject were noted, as they form potential areas for integrated teaching. Information gained from all ten major subjects was compiled to arrive at results. Results: Nearly 75% of topics (90 classes) could be taught by integrated teaching. Topics like Chemistry of biomolecules, Bioenergetics, Quality control and few metabolic pathways (30%) were not amenable for integrated teaching. Conclusion: Biochemistry can be made more relevant to learner by use of integrated teaching. MCI has recommended multidisciplinary integration of subjects and our study is a humble beginning in this direction.

Innovative ways and customizing psychiatry training for undergraduates.

Byline: M. Kishor, H. Vinay Sir, Psychiatry training of medical undergraduates and enhancing their skills is considered the most important issue in addressing mental health concerns at every stage of care in the society.[sup][1] Indian Psychiatry society is playing an important role in appraising Medical Council of India (MCI) about the urgent need to bring psychiatry as an essential subject to be incorporated in examination and evaluation of medical student to become a doctor.[sup][2] Unfortunately, there are no definitive steps from MCI in that direction, in the current medical curriculum for undergraduates 20 h of theory, 20 h of clinical and 2 weeks internship is what has been allotted for psychiatry. Most students do not utilize even this training as psychiatry is not a subject for exams. Considering these ground realities the concept of psychiatry training boils down to individual intuitions, Departments and Faculty in Psychiatry to do the maximum possible in imparting training. In this context, we would like to bring list of initiatives and outcome that was tried to maximize the undergraduate's training in psychiatry. This may be beneficial for other faculty/departments to replicate these strategies. Adichunchanagiri Institution of Medical Sciences (AIMS), BG Nagar, Mandya District, Karnataka, is truly a rural institution as the nearest district is about 100 km away. In 2009, as new faculty with enthusiasm, we started first with scheduled psychiatry theory classes. This was notified at all places where students gather, and open invitation was given to any interested student, irrespective of term/year of under graduation could attend along with others students in regular psychiatry classes. This helped us to spread the message to all, even when there was no “Whatsapp,” then. To make learning interesting and interactive, the theory topic would begin with a case scenario/MCQs/famed personalities/recent event and then carried forward with inclusion of student-led brief seminar on the subheadings, the conclusion was with either questions to ponder or interesting infotainment task, for example “watch the movie - a beautiful mind,” after a class on Schizophrenia. Even students had options to give their names and phone number for further intimation when there are patients who were willing for examination in relation to the theory learnt earlier. This made an initial positive impact and kindled students' interest, which was utilized for further enhancement of knowledge and skill. Even in clinical sessions and internship, the first session always began by knowing individual students hobbies and interest or about specialty they like. This understanding helped us to customize the teaching session to make it appealing in the background of their interest (panic disorder for those interested in cardiology) and gradually incorporating all the essentials of psychiatry. Student's hobbies and interest were appropriately channelized, for example, a student who was talented writer won the Kannada Medical Literature award for a story about depression, another received honorary money for writing an article in a magazine on suicide. If student's interest was in research, then they were encouraged to do so in their area of interest but in relation to psychiatry, students presented papers as early as in Annual National Conference of Indian Psychiatric Society 2012.[sup][3] The Department of Psychiatry was literally converted and perceived as “students' add a for extracurricular activities” that greatly enhanced regards for psychiatry. Indian Psychiatry Society Quiz and Prize Exams were widely publicized, and interested students were trained, also rewarded at institution level at Behest of Department. This led to the amazing consecutive success of AIMS students in Psychiatry quiz from 2009 onwards at the state level and above, even when there are 40 other Medical Colleges in Karnataka, AIMS still dominates bagging 2015, first prize at state psychiatry conference. …

Pattern of physician consultations from different departments of smhs and associated hospitals for the months of November 2011 and December 2011- medical council of India (mci) dercognition is not too far

The study was conducted to assess the pattern of inter hospital and inter-departmental consultations for in-patients and to ascertain whether the consultations made were desirable as per our setup in various hospitals of GMC Srinagar and avoid medico legal pitfalls and to conserve resources. All the consultations made from 10.0 am to 4.0 pm from various departments and associated hospitals of GMC Srin agar were recorded and analyzed . The consultations were attended by the consultant in -charge medical casualty. The consultations made from Nov 2, 2011 to Dec 31, 2011 were included in the study. After the first month restraint was shown by a circular from the head of the department of medicine to various departments and hospitals to ensure involvement of senior staff whether a second opinion is desirable and avoid involvement of patient care-givers i.e., attendants in the consultation procedure. Obstetrics and gynecology department had 82% consultations of undesirable nature and less than 10% where those with consultant involvement.