Medical Council Of India Research Articles

FACILITATION AND EVALUATION OF STUDENTS LEARNING

Various methods of teaching are lectures, seminars, tuto rials, group discussions and demonstrations. Most of these methods involv e only passive learning. Increased emphasis is being laid on students centred and integrated teaching . Both vertical and horizontal integrated teaching has been recommended by the medical council of India. The superiority of such novel methods over other e xisting methods in facilitating students learning has not been adequately assessed and hence the present study was undertaken. A 3 year study was performed in MBBS Phase - II students of 3 batches. Integrated teaching (seminar on various segments of a topic ) was carried out in 3 different ways to each batch of students. Batch 1: Subject experts (faculty) delivered talk on segment s of topic allotted. Batch 2: Randomly selected 7 - 10 students presented the topic (it was guided by faculty) Batch 3: similar to ba tch 2 but here a pre - session test (validated MCQs) was conducted. About 10 topics were covered in a year (same for all the batches) and were announced 15days prior to the seminar for the students to prepare. The seminar was for 2 hrs and a post - session te st was conducted using pre - validated MCQs to assess the learning outcome. Post - sessions score (mean ± SD) of all batches was calculated and analyzed by ANOVA. There was a significant improvement in the performance of batch 3 as compared to other batches. Pre - session tests promote students participation in teaching learning activities and also facilitates the learning process and th e outcome

Hand Injuries—Still Poorly Managed

There are 1700 injuries related to hand tools per hundred thousand farm workers per year in rural India. Productivity was impaired to the tune of 24,000 days per hundred thousand population because of injuries caused by hand tools on these farms [1]. Many of our patients in the villages get crush injury to the hand due to sugarcane crusher and other instruments used in farming. Injuries to the hand are also commonly seen in housewives as most of the household work has become mechanized like mixie, washing machine and vacuum cleaner etc. With rapid industrialization in our country industrial hand injuries also account for a high number of injuries in our country. The incidence of injuries was 36 per 10,000 workers per year. 47% were due to entrapment of the hand in active machines, 25% occurred during lifting and transportation of heavy objects and 12% while handling tools. The injuries resulted in residual deficit in 55% of cases and were serious enough to require absence from work of more than four weeks in 48% of cases. On an average 35 days were lost per injured worker, according to a report from Jaipur published as early as 1988 [2]. If these injuries are not being treated properly immediately and rehabilitation of that hand is not instituted the whole family suffers whether it is the breadwinner or home maker. It is saddening to see young patients getting cut injury to the palm or fingers, the local general practitioner may suture the wound without noticing the associated tendon or nerve injury. Patient may report to us after six months or so with the zone II flexor tendon injury, by that time whatever type of reconstruction is given the original repair could have given almost with normal function of the hand. Rural patients go to the nearest Primary Health Centre where some preliminary dressings are given and sent to the Head quarters Hospitals in that region where there is no qualified Plastic Surgeon or Trauma Surgeon to deal with some of these complex injuries. The surgical opportunism of primary hand repair is lost and the patient goes in for half hearted approach by some Casualty Medical Officer and the functional status of the hand is ruined even for a simple hand injury. Dr. Harold E. Kleinert in his foreword in the book on “Surgery of the injured Hand towards functional restoration” has commented on Prof. R. Venkataswami Hand Surgery Unit at Stanley Medical College, Chennai, where rich and poor receive the highest standard hand care and reconstruction without regard to the workers often with meagre resources as one of the Seven Wonders of the World [3]. The need of the day is Hand Surgery Units to be established in all the medical colleges in our country so that the immediate treatment of the injured hand can be done and the patient can return to his original work as he may be the only bread—winner of the family. The role of the hand surgeon is also very important here. He or she has to be well trained in the subject at good hand surgery institutes and practice the specialty solely. Also the surgeon has to be very aggressive in the management as well as rehabilitation of the injured hand to obtain best results. Rehabilitation of injured hand necessitates the role of physiotherapists, Occupational therapists, orthotists, and vocational counsellor. In this era of joint replacement surgery and arthroscopic surgery, simple rehabilitation programme is not there in many hospitals and the surgeon is also not aware of the importance of rehabilitation. We are of the strong opinion that both plastic surgeon and orthopaedic surgeon all over the country must come together to teach management of hand injuries in undergraduate period with the concurrence from Medical Council of India. Apart from this, the General Practitioners must be updated regularly regarding hand injuries and a proper system of referral of hand injuries must be evolved. We see lot of patients from the periphery with poorly managed hand injuries who are not able to earn his/her livelihood. That is why I feel hand injuries are still poorly managed. But with the path doyens like Prof.Venkatasamy has shown us, with well trained hand surgeons, exclusive hand surgery units at Medical College Hospital and by evolving a system of referral of hand injuries, I am sure we can achieve good functional results from hand injuries in our country.

Cultivating Lifelong Learning Skills During Graduate Medical Training.

Lifelong learning is referred to as learning practiced by the individual for the whole life, is flexible, and is accessible at all times. Medical Council of India has included lifelong learning as a competency in its new regulations for graduate medical training. Acquisition of metacognitive skills, self-directed learning, self-monitoring, and reflective attitude are the main attributes of lifelong learning; and all of these can be inculcated in the students by using appropriate instructional methodologies. It is time to deliberate upon the instructional designs to foster the lifelong learning skills and behaviors in medical graduates. In this communication, we aim to debrief the concept of lifelong learning, particularly in context with medical training and detailing the process that can be explicitly used to cultivate the attitude of lifelong learning in medical graduates.

The functioning of the Medical Council of India analysed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Health and Family Welfare.

On March 8, 2016, the 92nd report on the functioning of the Medical Council of India (MCI) (1) was placed before both Houses of Parliament by Professor Ram Gopal Yadav, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Health and Family Welfare.

The research output from Indian medical institutions between 2005 and 2014

BackgroundThe research output from Indian medical institutions is generally regarded to be poor but there have been no previous studies to document this especially after the recent proliferation of 263 medical colleges, mainly in the private sector and under the aegis of the National Board of Examinations, as well as the 316, mainly public sector, colleges under the Medical Council of India. MethodsUsing the SCOPUS database we analyzed the research output from 579 Indian medical institutions and hospitals between 2005 and 2014, including the contributions of individual states and compared the output of Indian medical institutions with some of the leading academic centers in the world. ResultsOnly 25 (4.3%) of the institutions produced more than 100 papers a year but their contribution was 40.3% of the country's total research output. 332 (57.3%) of the medical colleges did not have a single publication during this period. The states which had the largest number of private medical colleges fared the worst with more than 90% of the medical colleges in Karnataka and Kerala having no publication at all. In comparison, the annual research output of the Massachusetts General Hospital was 4600 and the Mayo Clinic 3700. ConclusionThe overall research output from Indian medical institutions is poor. This may be because medical education has now become a business and there is little interest in research which is not thought to be a profitable activity. We believe that a drastic overhaul of Indian medical education is necessary similar to that initiated by Flexner in the USA in the beginning of the last century.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of prescription writing as per Medical Council of India guidelines among interns in a Medical College

Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of prescription writing among interns in medical college.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the interns in a Medical College, after taking approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Participants were asked to write prescription for a common ailment in a given prescription blank page. A structured questionnaire was designed based on new Medical Council of India (MCI) prescription writing pattern to analyse the prescription. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics.Results: Among 84 interns, most of the participants had written the drug by generic name (95.2%) and have signed in the prescription sheet (98%). None of them were aware of the latest prescription writing pattern recommended by Medical Council of India (MCI). The writing of generic name in capital letter was not done by 97.6% of interns. Conclusion: Our study concluded that interns were not aware of new Medical Council of India (MCI) prescription writing pattern. Majority of interns have made errors while writing the prescription. Thus there is a need for regular formal education regarding prescription writing, before the start of internship. They can be given training under medical education unit regarding the recent updates of prescription writing.

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

Measuring academic achievements is never an easy task. This is particularly so when individuals are assessed for promotions in several fields with differing job descriptions. Assessment by peers is time-consuming and may be prone to bias; thus, objective criteria are required to minimise these concerns. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has laid down guidelines for appointments and promotions of teachers in medical institutions in India. Among the criteria used for promotions, publication of research is an essential requirement. Though the need for this requirement has been debated, it is believed that the quality of teaching improves when medical teachers are involved in research. Many countries have made it mandatory for their medical faculty to do research; some other countries incentivise the conduct and publication of research. Reports have also lamented that the physician–scientist might become an endangered species.[1,2] Thus, linking publications with promotions might benefit both the individual and the society. The flip side is that the time spent on research might take teachers away from teaching or clinical duties, particularly in under-staffed speciality departments. Further, the quality of research is likely to be poor when the resources and training in research are lacking.[3] Poor quality may even discredit research as a professional activity. Insistence on a certain amount of published research to maintain teaching credentials may lead to the phenomenon of ‘publish or perish’.[4] Finally, it is important to consider that biomedical research may, at times, be relevant to non-biomedical journals and criteria for awarding credit to such publications should also be devised. The MCI requires that the medical faculty engages in research. One measure to achieve this goal is the mandatory ‘thesis’ for postgraduate (Masters; MD/MS/DNB) and post-doctoral (DM/MCh/DNB) courses. Each student, regardless of speciality, is required to undertake a research study with a faculty member as the guide and often one-to-a-few faculty members from the same or related subjects as co-guides. Apart from providing training in doing research, the thesis is expected to inculcate an aptitude for research methodology and critical analysis. This experience is relevant to students who will become full-time researchers and is also beneficial to medical practitioners who may never conduct further research but should be able to discern the merits of newer management options for their patients. The MCI's initial guidelines for promotion to the position of Associate Professor and Professor required publication of at least two research papers by the candidates.[5] In September 2015, the MCI issued a ‘clarification’ on what constitutes ‘research publications’ for the promotion of teaching faculty of medical colleges/institutions in India [Box 1].[6] This ‘clarification’ raises the following issues. Box 1 Guidelines for counting research publications for promotion of teaching faculty of medical colleges/institutions in india as laid down in an order by Medical Council of India in September 2015 Indexing agencies: Scopus, PubMed, Medline, Embase / Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus and Index Copernicus Types of articles to be considered: Original research articles and original research papers Criteria for National/International journal: Published by a National/International – specialty journal/journal of a national/international society provided it is included in one of the indexes mentioned above Authorship: First author, second author e. E-journals: E-journals not included. The above would also be applicable for ‘accepted for publication’ papers/articles.

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

Measuring academic achievements is never an easy task. This is particularly so when individuals are assessed for promotions in several fields with differing job descriptions. Assessment by peers is time-consuming and may be prone to bias; thus, objective criteria are required to minimize these concerns. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has laid down guidelines for appointments and promotions of teachers in medical institutions in India. Among the criteria used for promotions, publication of research is an essential requirement. Though the need for this requirement has been debated, it is believed that the quality of teaching improves when medical teachers are involved in research. Many countries have made it mandatory for their medical faculty to do research; some other countries incentivize the conduct and publication of research. Reports have also lamented that the physician–scientist might become an endangered species [1], [2]. Thus, linking publications with promotions might benefit both the individual and society. The flipside is that the time spent on research might take teachers away from teaching or clinical duties, particularly in under-staffed specialty departments. Further, the quality of research is likely to be poor when the resources and training in research are lacking [3]. Poor quality may even discredit research as a professional activity. Insistence on a certain amount of published research to maintain teaching credentials may lead to the phenomenon of ‘publish or perish’ [4]. Finally, it is important to consider that biomedical research may, at times, be relevant to non-biomedical journals and criteria for awarding credit to such publications should also be devised. The MCI requires that the medical faculty engages in research. One measure to achieve this goal is the mandatory ‘thesis’ for postgraduate (masters; MD/MS/DNB) and post-doctoral (DM/MCh/DNB) courses. Each student, regardless of specialty, is required to undertake a research study with a faculty member as the guide and often one-to-a-few faculty members from the same or related subjects as co-guides. Apart from providing training in doing research, the thesis is expected to inculcate an appreciation for research methodology and critical analysis. This experience is relevant to students who will become full-time researchers, and is also beneficial to medical practitioners who may never conduct further research but should be able to discern the merits of newer management options for their patients. The MCI's initial guidelines for promotion to the position of Associate Professor and Professor required publication of at least two research papers by the candidates [5]. In September 2015, the MCI issued a ‘clarification’ on what constitutes ‘research publications’ for promotion of teaching faculty of medical colleges/institutions in India (Box 1) [6]. This ‘clarification’ raises the following issues. Box 1 Guidelines for counting research publications for promotion of teaching faculty of medical colleges/institutions in India as laid down in an order by Medical Council of India in September 2015 a Index agencies: Scopus, PubMed, Medline, Embase/Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus and Index Copernicus b Types of articles to be considered: Original research articles and original research papers. c Criteria for National/International journal: Published by a National/International – specialty journal/journal of a national/international society provided it included in one of the indexes mentioned above. d Authorship: First author, second author e E-journals: E-journals not included The above would also be applicable for ‘accepted for publication’ papers/articles.

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

Measuring academic achievements is never an easy task. This is particularly so when individuals are assessed for promotions in several fields with differing job descriptions. Assessment by peers is time-consuming and may be prone to bias; thus, objective criteria are required to minimise these concerns. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has laid down guidelines for appointments and promotions of teachers in medical institutions in India. Among the criteria used for promotions, publication of research is an essential requirement. Though the need for this requirement has been debated, it is believed that the quality of teaching improves when medical teachers are involved in research. Many countries have made it mandatory for their medical faculty to do research; some other countries incentivise the conduct and publication of research. Reports have also lamented that the physician–scientist might become an endangered species.[1,2] Thus, linking publications with promotions might benefit both the individual and the society. The flip side is that the time spent on research might take teachers away from teaching or clinical duties, particularly in under-staffed speciality departments. Further, the quality of research is likely to be poor when the resources and training in research are lacking.[3] Poor quality may even discredit research as a professional activity. Insistence on a certain amount of published research to maintain teaching credentials may lead to the phenomenon of ‘publish or perish’.[4] Finally, it is important to consider that biomedical research may, at times, be relevant to non-biomedical journals and criteria for awarding credit to such publications should also be devised. The MCI requires that the medical faculty engages in research. One measure to achieve this goal is the mandatory ‘thesis’ for postgraduate (Masters; MD/MS/DNB) and post-doctoral (DM/MCh/DNB) courses. Each student, regardless of speciality, is required to undertake a research study with a faculty member as the guide and often one-to-a-few faculty members from the same or related subjects as co-guides. Apart from providing training in doing research, the thesis is expected to inculcate an aptitude for research methodology and critical analysis. This experience is relevant to students who will become full-time researchers and is also beneficial to medical practitioners who may never conduct further research but should be able to discern the merits of newer management options for their patients. The MCI's initial guidelines for promotion to the position of Associate Professor and Professor required publication of at least two research papers by the candidates.[5] In September 2015, the MCI issued a ‘clarification’ on what constitutes ‘research publications’ for the promotion of teaching faculty of medical colleges/institutions in India [Box 1].[6] This ‘clarification’ raises the following issues. Box 1 Guidelines for counting research publications for promotion of teaching faculty of medical colleges/institutions in india as laid down in an order by Medical Council of India in September 2015 Indexing agencies: Scopus, PubMed, Medline, Embase / Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus and Index Copernicus Types of articles to be considered: Original research articles and original research papers Criteria for National/International journal: Published by a National/International – specialty journal/journal of a national/international society provided it is included in one of the indexes mentioned above Authorship: First author, second author e. E-journals: E-journals not included. The above would also be applicable for ‘accepted for publication’ papers/articles.

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

Measuring academic achievements is never an easy task. This is particularly so when individuals are assessed for promotions in several fields with differing job descriptions. Assessment by peers is time-consuming and may be prone to bias; thus, objective criteria are required to minimise these concerns. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has laid down guidelines for appointments and promotions of teachers in medical institutions in India. Among the criteria used for promotions, publication of research is an essential requirement. Though the need for this requirement has been debated, it is believed that the quality of teaching improves when medical teachers are involved in research. Many countries have made it mandatory for their medical faculty to do research; some other countries incentivise the conduct and publication of research. Reports have also lamented that the physician–scientist might become an endangered species.[1,2] Thus, linking publications with promotions might benefit both the individual and the society. The flip side is that the time spent on research might take teachers away from teaching or clinical duties, particularly in under-staffed speciality departments. Further, the quality of research is likely to be poor when the resources and training in research are lacking.[3] Poor quality may even discredit research as a professional activity. Insistence on a certain amount of published research to maintain teaching credentials may lead to the phenomenon of ‘publish or perish’.[4] Finally, it is important to consider that biomedical research may, at times, be relevant to non-biomedical journals and criteria for awarding credit to such publications should also be devised. The MCI requires that the medical faculty engages in research. One measure to achieve this goal is the mandatory ‘thesis’ for postgraduate (Masters; MD/MS/DNB) and post-doctoral (DM/MCh/DNB) courses. Each student, regardless of speciality, is required to undertake a research study with a faculty member as the guide and often one-to-a-few faculty members from the same or related subjects as co-guides. Apart from providing training in doing research, the thesis is expected to inculcate an aptitude for research methodology and critical analysis. This experience is relevant to students who will become full-time researchers and is also beneficial to medical practitioners who may never conduct further research but should be able to discern the merits of newer management options for their patients. The MCI's initial guidelines for promotion to the position of Associate Professor and Professor required publication of at least two research papers by the candidates.[5] In September 2015, the MCI issued a ‘clarification’ on what constitutes ‘research publications’ for the promotion of teaching faculty of medical colleges/institutions in India [Box 1].[6] This ‘clarification’ raises the following issues. Box 1 Guidelines for counting research publications for promotion of teaching faculty of medical colleges/institutions in india as laid down in an order by Medical Council of India in September 2015 Indexing agencies: Scopus, PubMed, Medline, Embase / Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus and Index Copernicus Types of articles to be considered: Original research articles and original research papers Criteria for National/International journal: Published by a National/International – specialty journal/journal of a national/international society provided it is included in one of the indexes mentioned above Authorship: First author, second author e. E-journals: E-journals not included. The above would also be applicable for ‘accepted for publication’ papers/articles.

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

Measuring academic achievements is never an easy task. This is particularly so when individuals are assessed for promotions in several fields with differing job descriptions. Assessment by peers is time-consuming and may be prone to bias; thus, objective criteria are required to minimise these concerns. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has laid down guidelines for appointments and promotions of teachers in medical institutions in India. Among the criteria used for promotions, publication of research is an essential requirement. Though the need for this requirement has been debated, it is believed that the quality of teaching improves when medical teachers are involved in research. Many countries have made it mandatory for their medical faculty to do research; some other countries incentivise the conduct and publication of research. Reports have also lamented that the physician–scientist might become an endangered species.[1,2] Thus, linking publications with promotions might benefit both the individual and the society. The flip side is that the time spent on research might take teachers away from teaching or clinical duties, particularly in under-staffed speciality departments. Further, the quality of research is likely to be poor when the resources and training in research are lacking.[3] Poor quality may even discredit research as a professional activity. Insistence on a certain amount of published research to maintain teaching credentials may lead to the phenomenon of ‘publish or perish’.[4] Finally, it is important to consider that biomedical research may, at times, be relevant to non-biomedical journals and criteria for awarding credit to such publications should also be devised. The MCI requires that the medical faculty engages in research. One measure to achieve this goal is the mandatory ‘thesis’ for postgraduate (Masters; MD/MS/DNB) and post-doctoral (DM/MCh/DNB) courses. Each student, regardless of speciality, is required to undertake a research study with a faculty member as the guide and often one-to-a-few faculty members from the same or related subjects as co-guides. Apart from providing training in doing research, the thesis is expected to inculcate an aptitude for research methodology and critical analysis. This experience is relevant to students who will become full-time researchers and is also beneficial to medical practitioners who may never conduct further research but should be able to discern the merits of newer management options for their patients. The MCI's initial guidelines for promotion to the position of Associate Professor and Professor required publication of at least two research papers by the candidates.[5] In September 2015, the MCI issued a ‘clarification’ on what constitutes ‘research publications’ for the promotion of teaching faculty of medical colleges/institutions in India [Box 1].[6] This ‘clarification’ raises the following issues. Box 1 Guidelines for counting research publications for promotion of teaching faculty of medical colleges/institutions in india as laid down in an order by Medical Council of India in September 2015 Indexing agencies: Scopus, PubMed, Medline, Embase / Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus and Index Copernicus Types of articles to be considered: Original research articles and original research papers Criteria for National/International journal: Published by a National/International – specialty journal/journal of a national/international society provided it is included in one of the indexes mentioned above Authorship: First author, second author e. E-journals: E-journals not included. The above would also be applicable for ‘accepted for publication’ papers/articles.

Faculty promotions in medical institutions in India: Can we improve the criteria?

Research publications are desirable for academic promotion in medical colleges as per the current rules of the Medical Council of India (MCI). These rules reflect an endeavour to improve the academic standards. We strongly believe that every medical college teacher should conduct true research and contribute to good peer-reviewed publications. However, it is felt that the MCI rule has the potential to lead to undesirable consequences, and the quality of teaching and learning could take a back-seat. There is an urgent need to adopt more objective criteria and better guidelines as followed by well-known global institutes. In our own country, the University Grants Commission has formulated specific guidelines for this purpose in the form of Academic Performance Indicators which, it appears, are not taken into consideration by the MCI. This article discusses the adverse impact of the rule and suggests ways for the adoption of a more scientific assessment system for faculty appointment and promotion.

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

Measuring academic achievements is never an easy task. This is particularly so when individuals are assessed for promotions in several fields with differing job descriptions. Assessment by peers is time-consuming and may be prone to bias; thus, objective criteria are required to minimise these concerns. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has laid down guidelines for appointments and promotions of teachers in medical institutions in India. Among the criteria used for promotions, publication of research is an essential requirement. Though the need for this requirement has been debated, it is believed that the quality of teaching improves when medical teachers are involved in research. Many countries have made it mandatory for their medical faculty to do research; some other countries incentivise the conduct and publication of research. Reports have also lamented that the physician–scientist might become an endangered species.[1,2] Thus, linking publications with promotions might benefit both the individual and the society. The flip side is that the time spent on research might take teachers away from teaching or clinical duties, particularly in under-staffed speciality departments. Further, the quality of research is likely to be poor when the resources and training in research are lacking.[3] Poor quality may even discredit research as a professional activity. Insistence on a certain amount of published research to maintain teaching credentials may lead to the phenomenon of ‘publish or perish’.[4] Finally, it is important to consider that biomedical research may, at times, be relevant to non-biomedical journals and criteria for awarding credit to such publications should also be devised. The MCI requires that the medical faculty engages in research. One measure to achieve this goal is the mandatory ‘thesis’ for postgraduate (Masters; MD/MS/DNB) and post-doctoral (DM/MCh/DNB) courses. Each student, regardless of speciality, is required to undertake a research study with a faculty member as the guide and often one-to-a-few faculty members from the same or related subjects as co-guides. Apart from providing training in doing research, the thesis is expected to inculcate an aptitude for research methodology and critical analysis. This experience is relevant to students who will become full-time researchers and is also beneficial to medical practitioners who may never conduct further research but should be able to discern the merits of newer management options for their patients. The MCI's initial guidelines for promotion to the position of Associate Professor and Professor required publication of at least two research papers by the candidates.[5] In September 2015, the MCI issued a ‘clarification’ on what constitutes ‘research publications’ for the promotion of teaching faculty of medical colleges/institutions in India [Box 1].[6] This ‘clarification’ raises the following issues. Box 1 Guidelines for counting research publications for promotion of teaching faculty of medical colleges/institutions in india as laid down in an order by Medical Council of India in September 2015 Indexing agencies: Scopus, PubMed, Medline, Embase / Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus and Index Copernicus Types of articles to be considered: Original research articles and original research papers Criteria for National/International journal: Published by a National/International – specialty journal/journal of a national/international society provided it is included in one of the indexes mentioned above Authorship: First author, second author e. E-journals: E-journals not included. The above would also be applicable for ‘accepted for publication’ papers/articles.

Perception of medical teachers towards existing graduate medical education regulations 1997

Background: The Medical Council of India (MCI) published regulations on graduate medical education, No study is available on perception of medical teachers about these regulations. It was planned to study perception of Medical teachers at Government Medical College, Nagpur towards Medical Council of India’s Graduate Medical Education Regulations (GMER) 1997. Methods: Cross sectional study was conducted among 150 teachers working at GMC, Nagpur, from July 2014 to January 2015. Data was collected using validated self-administered questionnaire using likert scale. Data was entered in excel sheet and percentage were calculated. Results: More than 75 percent teachers agreed with eligibility criteria for admission to MBBS, duration of MBBS and internship, phase wise distribution of subjects of MBBS, curriculum designed for respective subjects of MBBS. More than 70 percent of teachers were satisfied with existing system of internal assessment and were of opinion that Attendance should be given weightage for internal assessment. About 28 percent teachers said continuation of multiple choice questions in theory examination should be stopped. About 32 percent teachers said previous pattern with 50% weightage to theory and practical each and no internal assessment examination was better. Many teachers suggested changes to the curriculum and gave opinion about MCI Regulations. Conclusions: Majority of the teachers agree with eligibility criteria of MBBS admission, duration of MBBS and internship, phase wise distribution and curriculum designed for respective subjects and are satisfied with existing system of internal assessment. Teachers opine that curriculum should be clinically oriented, applied and should cover practical aspects.

Understanding the degree of awareness among medical professionals regarding the ethics of pharmaceutical marketing activities in context of revised medical council of India code of ethics

Background: Pharmaceutical marketing activities are regarded as ethically challenging by most medical professionals. This study was planned to understand the extent of the interaction of pharmaceutical companies with healthcare providers & to determine the level of awareness about the ‘Medical Council of India (MCI) Code of Ethics’. Methods: A questionnaire based survey was conducted among 100 consultants and residents. The questionnaire mainly dealt with ethical issues about accepting free gifts, medicines and other sponsorships from pharmaceutical representatives, interactions and expectations from representatives of pharmaceutical companies by doctors and ascertaining among them the level of awareness about the MCI’s code of ethics. Results: 59.4% residents and 58.8% consultants do not consider small gifts (stationery/books/drug samples) as ethically problematic. 88% residents and 85% consultants felt that offers should be limited. 72% of consultants were aware of the revised MCI code of ethics as compared to 28% of residents. Conclusions: Most physicians do maintain a code of ethics with regards to accepting gifts and they felt that inexpensive gifts do not influence clinical judgment. Consultants were of the view that amended MCI code of ethics would not affect their clinical practice significantly.

Undergraduate psychiatry training in India; past, present, and future looking for solutions within constraints!!

Byline: M. Kishor, Mohan. Isaac, M. Ashok, Lakshmi. Pandit, T. Sathyanarayana Rao Psychiatric disorders are considered one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide.[sup][1] They are closely associated with other medical conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, adversely affecting their outcome.[sup][2],[3] India has more than 1/6[sup]th of the global population, and is a rapidly developing country with enormous changes in all spheres of life. Mental health issues are gaining a great deal of importance, in keeping with other health issues, and are likely to play a key role in the diverse indicators of development. Suicide rates in India are reportedly one of the highest in the world and have already attracted political and socio-cultural trajectories in both causation and solutions for the problem, underplaying mental health causes for the same, as well as understating the inadequacy of mental health services in India.[sup][4] Concerns regarding the mental health scenario in India are directly related to a lack of awareness among the public and a lack of the minimal mandatory training in psychiatry for medical undergraduates, which has consistently produced thousands of doctors who are incompetent to diagnose and manage common conditions such as depression and suicide.[sup][5] Training undergraduates in the field of psychiatry can be considered as one of the most important pathways to improve mental health services in India. That undergraduate training in psychiatry is inadequate has been the contention from the first report of the subcommittee on undergraduate teaching in psychiatry, Indian Psychiatry Society (1965).[sup][6] The emphasis has been on inadequate hours of training in psychiatry as well as a lack of the required trained staff. Painfully, despite the numerous evidences about benefits of undergraduate psychiatry training [sup][7],[8],[9] nothing seems to have changed in this half of the century (1965–2015) as the Medical Council of India is reluctant to make psychiatry a mandatory subject for the MBBS examination,[sup][10] impairing the mental health component of basic health services in India. This great lacuna in Indian medical education is likely to have an adverse effect on mental health services for the next few decades. In addition is the issue that India has a large deficit of psychiatrists with just 0.3 for 100,000 populations, as mentioned in world mental health atlas 2014.[sup][11] To address this challenge, we may have to look for solutions that enable us to attract medical students to the subject of psychiatry, and build psychiatric knowledge and skill in them through diverse ways. The onus for achieving this lies on each faculty and the department as a team, the policies of the Institution and University to which they belong, as well as professional bodies like the Indian Psychiatric Society, each of whom will have a major role to play. The efforts of Indian Psychiatry Society have been well-summarized by Dr. Roy Abraham Kallivayalil in his presidential address at ANCIPS 2012, Kochi. The Medical Council of India had made it mandatory for all medical colleges to have a department of psychiatry as a part of teaching hospitals, providing mental health services in a general hospital setting. Needless to say, most nonteaching hospitals in India, public or private, do not have psychiatric services on a regular basis. Hence, medical colleges are crucial centers for providing Mental Health Services. Currently, there are 412 medical colleges in India with 52,325 MBBS seats.[sup][12] The onus of training these medical graduates in psychiatry for whom the subject is not mandatory, as in, not assessed in the current examination system, lies with the faculty in psychiatry, they have to use their knowledge and passion in delivering psychiatric training for these students. Departments that have recognized postgraduate seats must also put in the same degree of effort in teaching the undergraduates. …

Basic life support through early clinical exposure: Students’ perspective

Background Preclinical students in Indian medical colleges, who are fresh from their secondary schooling, are required to accumulate facts in basic sciences without any practical reference. Growing awareness of the significance of early clinical exposure (ECE) has prompted many institutions worldwide to start programs to introduce preclinical students to clinical medicine early. Following the Medical Council of India (MCI), PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (PSG IMSR), Coimbatore has introduced this program for first-year students.

Methods to enhance capacity of medical teachers for research publications

In 2009, the Medical Council of India (MCI) made a certain number of research publications mandatory for the promotion to higher posts of medical teachers. Responding to this, there was a series of workshops on research and scientific writing for faculty members of a medical college. We decided to explore the opinions and perceptions of the participants on the need and relevance of such efforts, using qualitative methods such as focus-group discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured interview. The main themes that emerged from the study were as follows: a) presently, there are several hurdles for research and publication; b) recent attempts to upgrade skills of research methodology and scientific writing are encouraging, but need to be sustained; c) the traditional role of clinician - teacher is being replaced with that of clinician-teacher-researcher. Suggestions for future included - a) combined workshops on research methodology and scientific writing skills, b) continuous institutional support system for research and publication, and c) effective mentorship.

In vitro Comparison of Generic and Branded Preparations of Amoxicillin with Potassium Clavulanate.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has guidelines for physicians to prescribe drugs with generic names. But physicians and patients might have prejudices against generic drug substitution or concerns regarding quality and generics effectiveness. If the drugs are ineffective, they can result in adverse clinical outcomes such as treatment failure. According to WHO, β-lactams are the most common substandard drugs to be produced amongst antibiotics. To evaluate and compare invitro efficacy of generic and branded preparations of Amoxicillin with Potassium Clavulanate. One generic (C) and 5 branded formulations (A,B,D,E,F) of amoxicillin with potassium clavulanate were taken for microbiological assay. Coding was done. Sterile disks were instilled with 10μl of preparations and disk diffusion was screened by Kirby Bauer Method using Mueller Hinton Agar. Bacterial Strains used were Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) and Escherichia Coli. Zone of inhibition was measured. Statistical Analysis was done using repeated measures one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test. Disk Diffusion test showed that branded Drug F has statistically significant less zone of inhibition (p < 0.001) for S. Aureus and (p < 0.05) for E.coli in comparison with generic drug C. Zone of inhibition of branded Drug A, B & E was comparable with the generic drug C. The results of this study indicate that the generic drug tested was equally effective compared to the tested branded drugs except branded Drug D and F. This suggests that efficacy of generic drug is equivalent to branded drugs and maybe used interchangeably with branded drugs.

Medical curriculum and pharmacology: An appraisal.

Pharmacology was introduced with Western Medical Education in India in 1900s. RN Chopra was the first Professor of Pharmacology along with patient care in School of Tropical Medicine Calcutta. Now Pharmacologists do not have clinical care nor give laboratory services to hospitals. Medical Education advanced in the West in 1960s with more emphasis on Integrated Teaching and Student Self-study and less on didactic lectures. System Based Learning and Problem Based Learning reduced importance of individual subjects. Medical Council of India (MCI) has mandatory regulations with no major changes in the last 5 decades. Universities and Medical institutions have no freedom in teaching programs. In Pharmacology didactic lectures dominate teaching. Practicals started with Dispensing Pharmacy were later replaced with Experimental Pharmacology. At present after restrictions on animals for study practicals are converted to Theoretical Exercises on Prescription writing and Incompatibilities. Students study mostly before examinations with little influence of yearlong teaching. Suggestions in line with Western Countries: Reduce the course of Pharmacology to 6 months. Examinations should be completely Internal with frequent tests by Internal Examiners. MD (Therapeutics) course may be introduced to teach Pharmacology in first semester. MCI rules to be only advisory and not mandatory. Teaching Institutions should form an independent Association and have freedom in teaching programs. A Nonofficial National Board of Medical Examination has to be formed to conduct an Entrance Test for admissions to Medical College and a National test for each graduate before registration.