By Express News Service
TIRUPATI: New modules will be added to the existing MBBS curriculum in India, which will be taught from 2018 academic year, Dr Jayshree P Mehta, president of Medical Council of India (MCI), has said.
Speaking to Express here on Saturday, she said the modules like that on sex, general sensitivity, mental stress, ethics and professionalism, were prepared after interacting with faculty, scientists, renowned educationalists and collecting information from all sections of the society.
The MCI, in the past two years, has been making efforts to revise, revamp and upgrade the existing Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997 by incorporating many suggestions contained in the recommendations of the undergraduate working group. The syllabus would be common throughout the country thus ensuring uniformity, Dr Jayshree Mehta said.
She also said the Medical Council is also working on some uniform exit examinations for post graduate and super specialties and the MCI and universities need to work together to achieve these reforms. The proposed major changes in the existing regulations include a 2-month foundation course during which students will be oriented to the national health scenario, medical ethics and professional development and communication skills.
The document also incorporates early clinical exposure of students from the first year on wards which will be integrated with learning in basics and laboratory sciences. The revised regulations also include horizontal and vertical integration between disciplines and integration between hospital based medicine and community medicine, she explained.
About the admission process, the MCI president said, “To enforce uniformity in admissions and prevent malpractices, a common entrance examination (NEET) has been suggested, the MCI passed it and sent it to the Government of India. Of course, the final decision of the government is awaited, this system would ensure that reservation of seats, as per norms of different States, is maintained.”
Answering to a question, she said the MCI has already finalised six training centres and six sub-training centres in the country, and is set to give training to 40,000 faculty members, which will conclude by the end of the current academic year, and from next year, the new modules will be added to the curriculum.
