Implementing competency-based medical education curriculum in undergraduate psychiatric training in India: Opportunities and challenges

Innovative Self-directed, Problem-oriented, Lifelong learning, Integrated Clinical case Exercise (SPLICE) modules promote critical thinking skills, early clinical exposure, and contextual learning among first professional-year medical students

Medical education is undergoing various transformations to promote a more personalized and contextual way of learning. In light of this, the innovative "Self-directed, Problem-oriented, Lifelong learning, Integrated Clinical case Exercise" (SPLICE) modules were designed, implemented, and evaluated for medical students in the first professional year as a strategy for early clinical exposure in a collaborative and self-directed way of learning. This is a mixed methods study involving first-year medical students. Students were divided randomly into the control and the intervention groups. Six SPLICE modules were administered to the intervention while the control group followed the traditional curricula. The educational outcome was compared using an end-of-module assessment. In addition, 13-item and 8-item questionnaires were administered to students to evaluate the SPLICE and plenary sessions on a 5-point Likert scale. Furthermore, students' feedback was obtained on a 10-point rating scale and in in-depth small-group interviews. The majority of students perceived that the SPLICE module improved their communication and encouraged meaningful, active learning. Students found the plenary sessions to be well organized, with sufficient interaction with professionals. Students also gave excellent scores for feedback on SPLICE modules, demonstrating the effectiveness of the innovation. In terms of test scores used in assessing learning outcomes, the intervention group outperformed the control group (P < 0.0001). The innovative SPLICE curriculum facilitated early clinical exposure and active self-directed learning. Students perceived SPLICE modules to be highly helpful in terms of promoting meaningful learning and the future application of knowledge.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The very essence of this innovative "Self-directed, Problem-oriented, Lifelong learning, Integrated Clinical case Exercise" (SPLICE) curriculum is the team-based learning of integrated pre-, para-, and clinical learning objectives right from the first professional year of study serving as an early clinical exposure. This unique way of learning creates a holistic educational environment by combining both academic and professional development thereby empowering the next generation of physician leaders to take autonomy of their own learning strategies and emerge as competent lifelong learners.

Competency-based child and adolescent psychiatry curriculum for Indian medical graduates: Need of the hour

The National Medical Council of India has introduced a Competency-Based Medical Curriculum for structured training of Indian Medical Graduates. The curriculum envisages training of the medical graduate in Bloom's cognitive, affective and communication skills as per Miller's competence framework. This competency-based curriculum has opened the way towards a structured training program for medical graduates to impart evidence-based teaching and groom them into holistic physicians. The introduction of psychiatry early into the medical graduate curriculum is a welcome step that can generate interest towards the specialty and provide core knowledge and clinical psychiatric skills. In this background, the author proposes introducing a structured Child and Adolescent psychiatry curriculum for undergraduates, which can prepare future doctors to provide child and adolescent psychiatric care in routine clinical settings. This competency-based child and adolescent psychiatry curriculum would help inculcate developmentally and socially appropriate knowledge, attitude and communication skills in managing child and adolescent psychiatric disorders.