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| SHORT COMMUNICATION |
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| Year : 2020 | Volume
: 6
| Issue : 2 | Page : 155-156 |
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Whether adoption of a problem-based curriculum in the delivery of medical education can fill up the existing lacunae?
Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava1, Prateek Saurabh Shrivastava2
1 Member of the Medical Education Unit and Institute Research Council, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth – Deemed to be University, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth – Deemed to be University, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India
| Date of Submission | 09-Feb-2020 |
| Date of Decision | 22-Mar-2020 |
| Date of Acceptance | 01-May-2020 |
| Date of Web Publication | 21-Dec-2020 |
Correspondence Address:
Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava
Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV) – Deemed to be University, Tiruporur - Guduvancherry Main Road, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu - 603108
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jcrsm.jcrsm_8_20
Amid the changing dynamics and advancements in the field of healthcare, biomedical research, and technology reforms, the expectations from a healthcare provider have changed immensely. However, the ground reality is that we as medical professionals have not stood up to the task. The problem based learning (PBL) has been looked upon as one of the methods to enhance learning and aid the curriculum planners in meeting their vision set for a medical graduate. In conclusion, PBL curriculum for medical students is the answer to meet the diverse healthcare needs of the society in the current era. This calls for the need for all the stakeholders to work together and implement the same in the best possible way.
Keywords: Medical education, problem-based curriculum, self-regulated learner
How to cite this article:
Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Whether adoption of a problem-based curriculum in the delivery of medical education can fill up the existing lacunae?. J Curr Res Sci Med 2020;6:155-6 |
How to cite this URL:
Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Whether adoption of a problem-based curriculum in the delivery of medical education can fill up the existing lacunae?. J Curr Res Sci Med [serial online] 2020 [cited 2023 May 30];6:155-6. Available from: https://www.jcrsmed.org/text.asp?2020/6/2/155/304210 |
| Introduction | |  |
Amid the changing dynamics and advancements in the field of healthcare, biomedical research, and technology reforms, the expectations from a healthcare provider have changed immensely. A doctor has to be clinically sound, should update themselves with the recent developments and at the same time be a good professional. However, the ground reality is that we as medical professionals have not stood up to the task. Even though a range of factors are responsible for the same, the way medical curriculum is being delivered to students plays an important role in determining the output from medical schools.
Competency-based curriculum and Problem-based learning
In fact, the recent decision to adopt competency based curriculum for undergraduate students in India was primarily because the traditional curriculum was not at par with the needs of the society. The good thing about competency based curriculum is that it has helped us to identify the various subject specific competencies expected of a medical graduate. A wide range of innovative teaching–learning methods have been advocated to impart curriculum delivery in competency based curriculum, keeping the needs and interests of the learners and the society.[1] Problem based learning (PBL) has been looked upon as one of the methods to enhance learning and aid the curriculum planners in meeting their vision set for a medical graduate.[1],[2],[3],[4]
PBL Model: Way Forward
The PBL model has delivered encouraging results in improving the knowledge base of students, in improving their performance in assessments, and in laying down the foundation for a self regulated and a lifelong learner.[1 3] However, for delivery of an effective curriculum, the most important thing is the creation of well designed case scenarios (viz., realistic, open ended, relevant to clinical practice and integrates basic and clinical sciences), which facilitates meaningful learning among students.[2],[3]
This, in itself, becomes quite a challenging task as it is a must that all the faculty members have to be trained about the entire process, right from the development of the case scenario, and the need that they have to act just as a facilitator; otherwise, the entire purpose of the exercise will be defeated.[1],[2] This can be effectively handled by the active involvement of the Curriculum Committee and the Medical Education Unit, which can together play an instrumental role in organizing periodic sensitization programs for the benefit of the faculty members.
At the same time, students can also be sensitized about the entire process and explained that how PBL based teaching differs from the traditional teaching and in what all ways it can aid the medical students to become a better clinician in the future. In general, the approach of PBL is a resource dependent initiative and essentially requires a team approach to meet the intended learning outcomes. We can reach our expectations if we join our hands together and work together with a single intention to benefit our students and the general community at large.[2 5] Finally, to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum, periodic feedback should be obtained from the teachers and students to improve the overall process.[2] In Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, a constituent unit of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry, periodically PBL sessions are being organized, with the leading department from the same phase to which the students belong. The subjects from the same and other phases are involved in the stage of formulation of problem and developing the intended learning objectives. Subsequently, feedback is also obtained from the students to enhance the effectiveness of the overall process.[4]
| Conclusion | | |
In conclusion, PBL curriculum for medical students is the answer to meet the diverse healthcare needs of the society in the current era. This calls for the need for all the stakeholders to work together and implement the same in the best possible way.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | | |
| 1. | Kassab SE, Du X, Toft E, Cyprian F, Al-Moslih A, Schmidt H, et al. Measuring medical students' professional competencies in a problem-based curriculum: A reliability study. BMC Med Educ 2019;19:155.  |
| 2. | Lucieer SM, van der Geest JN, Elói-Santos SM, de Faria RM, Jonker L, Visscher C, et al. The development of self-regulated learning during the pre-clinical stage of medical school: A comparison between a lecture-based and a problem-based curriculum. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract 2016;21:93-104. |
| 3. | Elzubeir MA. Teaching of the renal system in an integrated, problem-based curriculum. Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl 2012;23:93-8. [ PUBMED] [Full text] |
| 4. | Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Implementation of problem-oriented learning sessions in para-clinical years of medical college. Res Dev Med Educ 2019;8:38-40. |
| 5. | Ahmed HS, Alabdulaali MK, Qutub HO, Kaliyadan F, Almulhim AN, Albuali WH, et al. Collaboration between a medical school and the provincial government health system in effective implementation of a problem-based curriculum: An experience from Saudi Arabia. Educ Health (Abingdon) 2017;30:99-100. |
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