Shortcuts in Medical Training: The Hurdles of the New Curriculum

In 2019, India's medical education got a shakeup with the introduction of the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum. The goal was clear: train doctors who are not only skilled but also have the right attitudes and values to serve communities effectively, both locally and globally. However, this new approach came with some significant changes. The second-year MBBS course was shortened from 18 months to 12 months, and pharmacology teaching hours were reduced from 300 to 230. These changes were meant to streamline the process, but they also raised some big questions. A nationwide survey was conducted in 2023, involving 52 pharmacology faculty members from eight states and one union territory. The purpose? To figure out the challenges these educators were facing with the new curriculum. One of the biggest issues was the lack of preparation. A quarter of the faculty members hadn't even gone through the Curriculum Implementation Support Program (CISP), which was designed to help them adapt to the new system. This lack of training was a significant hurdle. Many faculty members felt that the reduced course duration and teaching hours were not enough to cover the syllabus effectively. The survey also highlighted a major concern: the inability to hire more assistant professors. The National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines restrict the number of tutors that can be appointed, which means that the existing faculty members are stretched thin. This shortage makes it hard to conduct activities like self-directed learning, small group discussions, and seminars, which are crucial for a well-rounded education. Despite these challenges, there was a silver lining. Most faculty members were satisfied with the allocation of 150 practical hours, compared to the previous 200 hours. This suggests that while there are issues with the new curriculum, there are also areas where it is working well. The survey also showed that the new curriculum is a significant step forward for India's medical education system. However, it's clear that there are barriers to its effective implementation. To make this system work, it's essential to identify these obstacles and find ways to overcome them. This could involve better training for faculty members, more flexible guidelines for hiring additional tutors, and a systematic feedback mechanism to ensure that the curriculum is being implemented as intended.