Perceptions of stakeholders regarding the foundation course

Abstract

Objectives: Medical education is an ever-changing field with the need for hour. Patient-doctor relationships are continuously evolving with increasing awareness of the patients. This study aims to determine the perceptions of stakeholders (students, faculty and administrators) about the new foundation course implemented by MCI in all medical colleges in India from batch 2019 to 2020 onwards. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 90 Phase-I MBBS students, 38 faculty members and 15 administrators involved in conducting the foundation course. All stakeholders answered an open-ended questionnaire. Data were converted to percentages and analysed. Results: Students reported improvement in communication skills and knowledge about ethics concerning to medical practice. They also reported improved interaction with the faculty. Their perceptions were confirmed by other stakeholders. The foundation course was rated by two-third of administrators and half of the faculty between 80% and 90%, while one-third of students between 70% and 80%. Conclusion: The impact of the foundation course on Indian Medical Graduate training has a long way to go, the beginning seems to be promising in the form of achievement of short-term outcomes indicated in this study, it appears that soon the intermediate and long-term outcomes will also be achieved, leading to a better health-care system.