Post Graduate Research Articles

Awareness on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) among the Postgraduate Students of Fakir Mohan University

In the present study an attempt has been made by the researchers to study the awareness on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) among the postgraduate students of Fakir Mohan University, Balasore. For this study researchers formulated certain objectives like to study the awareness of post graduate students of Arts, Science and Commerce Stream of Fakir Mohan University about Massive Open Online Courses. To conduct the study researchers used descriptive survey method and stratified random sampling techniques is used to select samples from different stream. Data were collected by using Massive Open Online Course Awareness Scale developed by the researchers and data were analysed by using simple percentage techniques. After analysis of data it is found that most of the students of Arts stream in comparison to Science and Commerce are aware about massive open online courses.

IJCM_411A: Motivational factors associated with the choosing medicine as a profession among first year students

Background: Students enter the medical study with internally generated motives like genuine interest (intrinsic motivation) and/or externally generated motives like parental pressure or desire for status or prestige. Due to limited information available on the motivational factors to take up medicine among Indian students, this study was carried out to determine motivations of first-year medical students’ towards a medical career. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was carried out among all 250 first year medical students of Kasturba Medical College (Manipal University), Mangalore in February 2015. Data collection was done using a pre-tested semi structured questionnaire, consisting of 16 questions about demographic and academic characteristics; motivational factors to study medicine; and the role of career guidance in choice of study Data were analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 11.5. Results: Of 250 students, 246 (98.4%) submitted completed questionnaires. The majority of the students (72%) were self-motivated for choosing medicine as a career; 64.2% chose medicine because it is a humane and noble profession; 50.4% for respect and prestige it provides; 36.6% were inspired by the family; 27.2% because of the non-requirement to study Mathematics and Physics and 14.6% for financial security. Also, 16.3% students had parents in the medical profession; Fifty-seven students (55%) got admission after > or = 2 attempts; 46% decided on a medical career before class ten. Overall, 13% had sought career counselling. More than half of the students had accurate knowledge about the curriculum, course duration, examinations, and post graduate training. Conclusion: Nobility of the profession, prestige, and inspiration from family members were the predominant motivating factors. Determining the reasons for choosing medicine has important implications for the selection and training of students as well as for their future job satisfaction.

Mental health status and substance abuse among medical students in Karaikal, Puducherry, India.

Mental health disorders and substance abuse are prevalent issues that significantly impact individuals and societies. Medical students are particularly vulnerable due to the intense pressures and challenges inherent in medical education. This current investigation aims to explore the mental health status and patterns of substance abuse among medical students, identifying associated factors and potential interventions. A cross-sectional study was executed with 421 undergraduate and post graduate medical students from a tertiary care centre. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with psychological distress and substance abuse. Substance abuse was reported by 21.4% of participants, while 20.7% experienced psychological distress. There was a statistically significant association between substance abuse and psychological distress (p=0.005). Factors associated with psychological distress included sleep deprivation (Adjusted OR: 24.8, p=0.001), whereas factors associated with substance abuse included male gender (Adjusted OR: 2.3, p=0.001), older age, staying with friends (Adjusted OR: 1.8, p=0.04) and sleep deprivation abuse (OR: 2.0, p=0.01). This study highlights a significant occurrence of psychological distress and substance abuse among medical students. Interventions to improve mental health and reduce substance abuse among medical students should consider these associated factors, emphasizing the importance of sleep hygiene, stress management and supportive environments.

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES PREPAREDNESS IN DENTAL CLINIC AMONG POSTGRADUATE RESIDENTS IN NEPAL

Background: Serious medical emergencies in dental practices are generally rare (one in 3-5 years) but if it happens it is life threatening to the patient. Adequate knowledge and competency, training of the dental practitioners is necessary to avoid such life-threatening conditions. The study was conducted to assess the preparedness of medical emergencies among postgraduate dental students of Nepal. Methods: An online questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted among all post graduate dental students from all the dental colleges of Nepal. Pretested, validated, close ended questionnaire was used. Questionnaire consisted of twenty medical emergency situations and five questions regarding self-evaluation of training regarding the management of medical emergencies. Chi-square test was used to assess association between competency in managing medical emergency situations and years of academic experience during post-graduation. P- value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: More than 70% participants answered correct management of medical emergency situations. Almost 20% disagreed and 20% don’t know about the management of such situations. Only 28% received training in the management of medical emergencies during undergraduate dental program. More than 50% were moderately satisfied with their knowledge about medical emergencies. Conclusions: The results of the study showed that knowledge to handle commonly occurring medical emergencies was higher. Most of the participants did not attend any training regarding medical emergencies. And those who attended felt there is need for further training in the management of emergency medical cases in the dental chair.

Unveiling Disparities: Exploring Differential Attainment in Postgraduate Training Within Clinical Oncology

AimsDifferential attainment (DA) in post graduate medical training is a recognised challenge and refers to unexplained variation across groups when split by several protected characteristics. The Royal College of Radiology is committed to fostering diversity, inclusivity, and equality with the goal of narrowing existing gaps and improving training outcomes. Materials and MethodsThis was a mixed methods study aiming to understand the causes of DA with view to helping the RCR develop strategies to address this. A cross-sectional survey was completed by 140 clinical oncology trainees in September 2022. Trainees and trainers (17 and 6 respectively) from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, took part in focus group and interviews from August to December 2022. Quantitative and qualitative data merged and interpreted. ResultResults showed international medical graduates and trainees from ethnic minority backgrounds were more likely to encounter challenges. The qualitative findings were used to identify three themes through which these problems could be framed. The trainee as a “space invader,” the hidden curriculum of clinical oncology training and the process of navigating and tacking the training journey. ConclusionDifferential attainment is the product of a complex interplay between the trainee, trainer, and the training environment. Therefore, interventions must be tailored to different people and contexts. At a national level, the RCR can adopt general policies to promote this such as mentorship programmes, protected time for supervision and cultural competency training. Efficacy of proposed interventions for trial and their impact on DA should be evaluated to drive evidence-based changes.

Evaluating the Criteria for Selection of Web Resources for Academic Pursuit

This paper focuses on finding the criteria adopted by users to select free information retrieved from the Web for academic use. A close-ended questionnaire was formulated to record the opinions of the respondents. A survey for various categories of users such as post graduate students, research scholars and faculty members from five universities of Chandigarh, Haryana, and Punjab was administered. The category-wise and discipline-wise analysis depicted that quite a good number of respondents applied various parameters while referring to Web resources, but a reasonable number of users did not apply certain parameters to verify the nature of free information being used for educational purposes. The convenience factor leads them to depend on free Web resources which can be accessed anywhere and saves time. The findings of the study suggest that user education programs should be conducted to create awareness regarding the credibility of the subscribed library resources and their effectiveness in enhancing the quality of teaching, learning, and research.

ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE (KAP) IN PHARMACOGENOMICS AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS IN A TEACHING HOSPITAL-A CROSS-SECTIONAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Objective: Pharmacogenomics is a field of personalized medicine where individual’s genomic profile is used to guide therapeutic prescription with the goals of increasing efficacy and decreasing toxicity and progressively moving into mainstream clinical practice. Many medical students are not familiar with implications of pharmacogenomics in therapeutic effectiveness. This survey was designed and administered to assess knowledge, attitude and practices among phase 3 MBBS students (undergraduates/UGs) and postgraduates (PGs).
 Methods: A Cross-sectional Observational study was conducted among Phase 3 MBBS students (n=110) and PGs (n=46). Data was collected through validated questionnaire and analyzed for their knowledge, attitudes and practices pertaining to Pharmacogenomics. SPSS version 21 and the Chi-square test was used to test the significant difference between the two groups. p value<0.05 was taken as statistically significant.
 Results: From the data analyzed, about 85% of undergraduates and 89% of post-graduates have adequate knowledge on Pharmacogenomics. Both the groups had positive attitude (91% and 93%) towards Pharmacogenomics. In the cluster which evaluated the practice the positive response of agree/strongly agree were 75% and 74%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups for KAP on Pharmacogenomics.
 Conclusion: Awareness programmes need to be conducted to educate the undergraduates and PGs as attitude is more positive than their knowledge, and practice of pharmacogenomics. This helps to improve the choice of drug, keeping in mind the genetic profile of the patient to reduce the adverse effects, morbidity and mortality and to promote tailor-made personalized therapy.

ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE (KAP) OF NUTRIVIGILANCE AMONG PHASE-2 MBBS AND POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL-A CROSS-SECTIONAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Objective: Nutrivigilance is a new concept in India. Several adverse drug reactions (ADRs) arising due to the use of Nutraceuticals are undermined and under-reported by prescribers. Spontaneous reporting of ADRs forms the backbone of Nutrivigilance. This paper will examine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of nutrivigilance among medical students and postgraduate doctors and discuss the need, challenges, and opportunities for improving nutrivigilance in the future.
 Methods: A Cross-sectional study was conducted between Phase-2 MBBS (UGs) and Postgraduates (PGs) of GMC, Ananthapuramu. The study tool was a validated questionnaire having 30 questions to evaluate KAP of Nutrivigilance. Data was collected in Google forms and was analyzed using SPSS 21 and P value<0.05 was taken as statistically significant.
 Results: The results revealed poor knowledge on Nutrivigilance (UGs-16% and PGs-14%). The Attitude towards Nutrivigilance was equally positive (92%, 94%) in the two groups. Practice on Nutrivigilance was 54% and 52%, respectively. There was no significant difference in KAP on Nutrivigilance between the UGs and PGs.
 Conclusion: UGs and PGs lack adequate knowledge and skill of reporting ADR, but both have a positive attitude towards Nutrivigilance programme. To increase awareness on the topic, Nutrivigilance and adverse reaction reporting of nutraceuticals must be added to the academic curriculum of undergraduate and postgraduates, thus improving the reporting and monitoring of ADRs by Nutraceuticals thus improving the health of the community.

Knowledge and Awareness of Post Graduate and Undergraduate Dental Students About CBCT: A Questionnaire Study

Aim: To assess the precise knowledge and awareness of the Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) among post graduate and undergraduate dental students. Materials and Methods: The data in questionnaire were obtained through the completely filled 200 google forms which includes undergraduate and postgraduate dental students. The obtained data was analysed category wise. Results: A definite gap exists between undergraduate students and postgraduates in awareness, knowledge and handling capacity. Postgraduate has better knowledge on interpretation than undergraduates. The right CBCT education should be given to dental students, backed by real-world experience and the advice of oral and maxillofacial radiologists. Conclusion: To guarantee greater understanding among dentists, further efforts should be made to raise awareness of this imaging modality. These efforts could include adding CBCT to the BDS curriculum and holding lectures or Continuing Dental Education (CDE) sessions. Keywords: CBCT, dental students, awareness, knowledge, CDE

IMPACT OF AN EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION ON AWARENESS OF PHARMACOVIGILANCE AND ADR REPORTING AMONGST AYURVEDIC POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS

Objective: Adverse drug reactions (ADR) are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Ayurveda is one of the oldest healthcare systems, widely practiced in India and there is a misconception that AYU and H drugs are free from ADRs. Post-graduate (PG) students are fresh pass-out medical graduates and are major contributors in providing health care at tertiary care centres. The present study was planned with the aim of evaluation of knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacovigilance amongst PG students and impact of an educational intervention on their knowledge and attitude.
 Methods: A pre-test, post-test questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted. 41 postgraduate students from different branches were included. An educational intervention in the form of sensitization programme, including basic knowledge of pharmacovigilance, monitoring system for pharmacovigilance andcase-based ADR reporting was conducted. A validated questionnaire consisting of questions regarding knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacovigilance was provided as a pre-test and post-test and the results were statistically evaluated.
 Results: Scores of pre-test reveals that the participants were aware of basic knowledge of pharmacovigilance but knowledge about reporting procedure and the monitoring system was lacking. The difference in mean scores of pre and post-test was statistically significant. Most of the participants agreed that reporting ADR improves drug safety and frequent sensitization programmes should be conducted but practically, they had not undergone any training/sensitization programme.
 Conclusion: The study reveals that even with the favorable attitude towards drug safety and ADR reporting, the unawareness of PG students about the monitoring system and deficient ADR reporting indicatesa strong need for the conduction of repeated training/sensitization programmes and other suitable methods for encouraging ADR reporting.

Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of various irrigating techniques by checking the depth of penetration of the sealer- An in-vitro study

Sonic irrigant activation has gained widespread popularity among general dentists and endodontists currently. It is usually seen that sonic powered flosser which we have used in our study is in use in many dental colleges by post graduate students as it is construed to be the cheaper version of Endoactivator.To investigate the efficacy of sonic powered flosser with various irrigating techniques by checking the depth of sealer penetration. Forty five single-rooted teeth were instrumented and divided into 3 groups of 15 teeth each, as Group 1: endoactivator; Group 2: powered sonic flosser; Group 3: manual dynamic irrigation. The samples were obturated with AH Plus sealer labelled with Rhodamine B dye. The teeth were sectioned and viewed under confocal microscope to determine the depth of sealer penetration.Statistical analysis used: One way Anova F test was used for overall comparison among three groups and Tukey's post hoc test were used to evaluate the efficiency levels between groups. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant for all statistical test. The results showed that the maximum penetration was exhibited by endoactivator followed by manual dynamic irrigation and least by powered sonic flosser. The middle third showed the maximum penetration, followed by apical third in all the groups. Sonic powered flosser and manual agitation weren’t found to be as effective as Endoactivator, so in the absence of Endoactivator, sonic and manual agitation can’t be relied upon for desired results. The agitation of the irrigants is found to be most effective with endoactivator in order to achieve appreciable sealer penetration.So using sonic powered flosser will not be able to render the results as good as endoactivator.

Supervisor’s Rank and Student’s Performance in Post Graduate Research in Universities in Cross River State

The study investigates influence of supervisors’ rank on students’ performance in post graduate theses and dissertations in postgraduate research in universities in Cross River State. The study adopted the ex-post factor research design. The population of the study consists of all the 3912 Post graduate degree students who completed their theses defence between 2019 to 2021 academic year among Universities in Cross River State, with specific reference to the University of Calabar, University of Cross River State and the Calabar center of the National Open University of Nigeria. Using the simple random sampling technique to select 406 respondents, data was analysed using the one-way ANOVA. The findings reveal that the supervisors’ rank has no significant influence on students’ performance in post graduate thesis and dissertation. Students’ performance in their final year research work is the same (equal) for those supervised by Lecturer 1, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor and Professor. This may be true because of the open access possibility for supervisees to maximize online resources or consult academic mentors who might not be highly ranked academically. The study conclude that deans of Post Graduate School or postgraduate school administrators should ensure that different departments and faculties where postgraduate programmes are domiciled assigns supervisor with a higher level of expertise with regards to specialization and interest, rather than rank to supervise their post graduate student since the rank of supervisors’ does not influence students’ performance in post graduate research theses and dissertation.

Need for the dedicated emergency department in health care services; Postgraduate doctors’ perspective.

Objective: To explore the perspectives of post graduate residents working on emergency floor about the need of dedicated emergency department in healthcare department. Study Design: Qualitative Exploratory study. Setting: Allied Hospital, Faisalabad (AHF), Pakistan A Tertiary Care Public Sector Hospital in Punjab. Period: January 10, 2024, to January 30th, 2024. Material & Methods: Post-graduate residents of surgery and medicine department were included in study and interviews were conducted after taking their consent till the data saturation. Total 18 interviews were recorded and then transcribed. Thematic narrative analysis was performed. Results: Out of 18 participants, 14 (77.7%) were males while 4(22.2%) were females. From surgical floor, 8 Residents participated in the study out of which 1 (12.5%) was female and 7 (87.5%) were males while 10 residents participated from medical floor out of which 3 (30%) were females and 7(70%) were males. Theme 1: The problems faced on the emergency floor: All the participants agreed that the working condition of emergency floor is quite hectic and stressful. With sub themes (1a) Over-burdened emergency of tertiary care centers: 1b) Faulty Referral system: (1c) Patient interactions: (1d) Lack of facilities: (1e) Guidance & facilitation center: Theme 2: Dedicated Emergency Department: The Participants when asked about their suggestions regarding improvement of working condition at emergency floor, they all had a clear idea of establishment of a dedicated emergency department with specially trained and recruited staff for this purpose. With subthemes (2a) Filtration clinics: (2b) Rotational Duties: (2c) Proper Training: (2d) Public Awareness. Conclusion: The emergency departments in tertiary hospitals should be a separate department with dedicated staff, proper triage system and adequate facilities to deal with the critical patients.

Multimodality In Stop Motion Animation Films

Stop motion animation films use a complicated process of giving life to inanimate objects through visuals and cinematic experience that are created by using puppets made of clay, resin, silicon, wool etc. In the world of digital communication and technology, there has been rise of using multiple modes in order to give deeper meaning to the visuals of a film. Today, apart from language, stop animation film uses various semiotic modes of sound, music, visual metaphors, set design, camera angles, color theory, gestural, spatial and haptic illusion that helps in disseminating ideas, and concepts that are difficult to communicate through a film. The researcher has conducted a content analysis of three Oscar Nominated stop motion animation films including Negative Space, Sister and Lost and Found to identify the various semiotic modes used in the narrative of the film and a quantitative study was conducted to investigate the perception of the young adults including college students of undergraduate and post graduates and professionals between age group of (18-24) living in Mumbai regarding these modes.

A study on knowledge, attitude and practices towards research among medical post graduate students

Background: Research is crucial for the scientific progress of the health of individuals and communities. Understanding the concept of evidence-based medicine needs strong research knowledge. Research assures understanding of the subject and improves the knowledge of the students. This study was aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practices among medical post graduate students and to study the sociodemographic factors. And to determine the association of knowledge with various sociodemographic factors. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study conducted during a period of two months among the medical post graduate students studying in a private medical college. Knowledge, attitude and practice were assessed by using self- administered questionnaire among 117 post graduate students. Likert scale was used to assess the knowledge component. Results: Among 117 study subjects 47% were first year 27.4% were second year and 25.6% were third year among which the overall adequate knowledge was 86.3%, positive attitude was 95.7% and good practices according to the study scale was only 29.1%. Level of knowledge and practices were found to be having significant association with the academic year studying in (p value <0.05). Conclusions: The post graduate students had adequate knowledge and positive attitude but had poor practices towards research. Adequate research helps to bridge the gaps in research and help the future generations in developing new interventions.

Public Health Student Evaluation of Teaching Qualitative Research Using Interactive Methods

Abstract Background: Interactive teaching methods aid post graduate students in learning qualitative research. Four academic researchers from the United Kingdom had an opportunity to teach qualitative research methods, specifically consensus methods, to the Master of Public Health students (MPH) during a visit to India. This teaching formed part of a work package with All India Institute of Medical Sciences Rishikesh, India exploring the concept of family resilience among families with children under 6 years. Aims: To use the experiences of the MPH students to gain knowledge and create meaning about using the consensus methods. Participants: The participants were the MPH students. Methods: We used the workshop method to introduce the concept of family resilience by using the question, ‘What will be the three top public health priorities in India to support family resilience in the 21st century?’ as a central theme for all the workshops. Furthermore, we introduced qualitative research methods and hands on experience of consensus methods to the students. The students were introduced to Delphi and Group Concept Mapping (GCM) methods during workshop 1. Workshop 2 introduced Nominal Group Technique (NGT) through a short presentation followed by a practical hands on session using GCM data from workshop 1. The last workshop (3) focused on the World Café method. Results: The students evaluated the workshops highly and asked for online sessions on GCM, NGT, and World Café which will be planned in the future. Conclusion: We concluded that the post graduate curriculum for master’s in public health studies would benefit from teaching using interactive research methods which will enhance their critical thinking and autonomy. Second, although the MPH curriculum had quantitative methods in place, introducing qualitative consensus methods will open new avenues into future research. Finally, teaching using practical demonstration gives students a voice and makes learning effective and enjoyable.

The management of metacarpal and phalangeal fractures of hand by K-wires and Joshi’s external stabilization system

Background: Hand injuries are quite common and affect 15% of people who go to the emergency room. The metacarpals and phalanges are the two bones that fracture most frequently, with a prevalence of between 10 and 15%. Use of K-wires with an external fixation system, such as Joshi's external stabilization system (JESS), is optional. According to the ligamentotaxis theory, JESS functions. Aim was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcome of metacarpal and phalangeal fractures using k wires and jess. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in post graduate department of orthopaedics SKIMS medical college Bemina, on 40 patients with metacarpal and phalangeal fractures managed by Kirschner wires (K-wires) and JESS. The collected data was analyzed with the help of statistical package for social science (SPSS), version 21 Results: In present study the most of the study subjects were in the age group of 28-37 years (40%), there was male predominance with the male to female ratio 2.5:1, majority of the study subjects were labourer (38%), right side was involved most commonly (62%), the major cause of fracture was road traffic accident (58%) and most (96%) of the study subjects were operated within 24 hours of the injury. Conclusions: The study concluded that augmentation of JESS over K-wires provides a stable skeletal environment with early tissue healing and immediate active and passive mobilization of the uninjured adjacent joints and also provides rotational stability as the majority of the study subjects achieved excellent functional outcome.

ASSESMENT OF KNOWLEDGE OF LIGHT MICROSCOPIC ERGONOMICS AMONG PATHOLOGISTS

Back Ground Sound knowledge regarding ergonomics and their practical application are essential for prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). The role of microscopic ergonomics (ME) in preventing these work related ailments is significant. Methods Authors conducted a cross sectional survey among pathologist of Davangere city, Karnataka, India. The data was collected using 26 - item custom designed proforma, with questions evaluating pathologist’s basic knowledge about microscopic ergonomics. Results Of 100 subjects surveyed, 70% pathologists (staff and post graduate) stated that they came across microscopic ergonomics only through this survey. Also 100% pathologists of believed that the emphasis about microscopic ergonomics is less in the present dental curriculum. Conclusions The findings suggest that the pathologist’s comprehension regarding microscopic ergonomics is limited. This study advocates the revision of dental curricula regarding microscopic ergonomics to prevent musculoskeletal injuries. Practical Implications Increased importance should be given during formative years of dental education about this essential clinical entity either via textbook education or in continuing dental education (CDE) programs. Key Words Microscopic ergonomics; musculoskeletal disorders; micro breaks

The Influence of Supervisor’s Attitude and Workload on Student’s Academic Performance in Post Graduate Research in Cross River State

Post graduate projects forms the requirements for the fulfillment of doctoral and Master degree progamme. Therefore, the success of these academic exercises depends on the cordial relationship between the supervisor, the academic mentor and the learner. This study therefore investigates the influence of supervisor’s attitude and work load on student academic performance in postgraduate research in Cross River State. The study adopted the ex-post factor research design. The population of the study comprised of all the Postgraduate students who completed their theses defense between 2019 to 2021 academic year among Universities in Cross River State, Nigeria. A sample size of 406 was selected using simple random method. The study adopted the Theses and Dissertations supervisor variables scale (TADSVS) via a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. Using the Simple Linear Regression Analysis the findings of the study revealed that: supervisor’s attitude towards thesis supervision have no influence on students’ performance in post graduate thesis. Similarly, it was discovered that supervisor’s academic workload has no influence on students’ performance in post graduate theses and dissertation. The study therefore recommended that deans of school of post-graduate studies in all Universities in Cross River State should ensure supervisor with positive attitude to supervise their post graduate student since supervisors’ attitude to theses and dissertations supervision significantly influence students’ performance in post graduate research and more than one supervisors should be allocated for post graduate project supervision to enhanced adequacy of time for both the supervisor and the learner in producing a qualitative research work of global standard.

Competency-based postgraduate training: Mentoring and monitoring using entrustable professional activities with descriptive rubrics for objectivity- A step beyond Dreyfus.

Background At Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, a competency-based learning and training (CoBaLT©) model for postgraduate (PG) curriculum, within the regulatory norms, was implemented in 2016 after adequate faculty development programmes. This focused on well-defined outcomes. Methods A review of the outcomes was undertaken in 2018 as part of internal quality assurance receiving feedback from all stakeholders, viz. students, alumni and faculty. Recent publications were also reviewed. A major problem identified was lack of clarity in definition of levels leading to subjectivity in assessment while grading. It was also noted that the process needed to be aligned with the programme outcomes. Further refinements were, therefore, made to align and objectivize formative assessment using entrustable professional activities (EPA) with the aid of descriptive rubrics of sub-competencies and milestones. Addition of detailed rubrics for objectivity takes assessment a step beyond the Dreyfus model, aligning overall to the programme outcomes. Results Achievement of appropriate grades in EPAs by individual candidates ensures entrustability in professional activities by the time of completion of the PG programme. The modification was found more transparent and objective with reference to grading by the teachers and more conducive to reflections by the residents on their performance and how to improve it. Conclusions The use of descriptive rubrics along with EPAs brings transparency and plays a key role as an objective assessment tool, which can lend direction to individual resident learning and entrustability. This is an important component of outcome-based education.