Volume 12 Issues 8 August, 2022
email: mdheerendra.ssmc@gmail.com
Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) was implemented by National Medical Council (NMC) for undergraduate medical education program to create Indian Medical Graduate (IMG) from academic year 2019-2020 onward.CBME not only a competency driven but it also includes other newer components (BOX 1). Elective clinical posting one of the importance newer components of CBME.
| BOX 1 Newer components of CBME 1. Foundation Course 2. Early Clinical Exposure 3. Electives 4. Professional Development including Attitude Ethics and Communication Module (AETCOM) 5. Learner-doctor method of clinical training (Clinical Clerkship) 6. Skill training |
The purpose of electives in CBME provide the opportunity for learner to explore, experience, and disserve the area of interest within curriculum. In CBME curriculum, two-month elective posting is schedule in block 1 (1 month) and block 2(1 month). Block 1 is just after the end of 3rd MBBS part 1 and block 2 is before commencement of 3rd MBBS part 2. The activities, scope, nature of posting and other key features of block 1 & 2 is discussed in BOX 2.
| BOX 2 | Block 1 | Block 2 |
| When | End of the of IIIrd MBBS part 1 | Before commencement of IIIrd MBBS part 2 |
| Duration | 4 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Focus of elective | Pre-/para – clinical disciplines or in other basic sciences laboratory or join ongoing research programs | Clinical specialties or community clinics (rural or urban) |
| Nature of learning | Supervised, Experiential Immersive, Self-directed | Supervised, Experiential Immersive, Self-directed |
| Regular clinical posting | Will continue | Will not be offered |
| Attendance | 75% is mandatory | 75% is mandatory |
| Assessment | Formative Record of activities in logbook and portfolio. | Formative Record of activities in logbook and portfolio. |
| Out of institution experience | Allowed but difficult | Allowed |
| Out of city or state experience | Allowed but difficult | Allowed with due approval |
Medical Education unit (MEU) in medical college is coordinate and ensure the effective implementation of electives according to CBME. MEU usually constituted two committees for implementation of elective block 1 & 2 respectively under the chairmanship of Dean.
Each college can adopt own mechanism to allot the electives but have predetermined name, nature and topics for elective, supervisor, no of learner, available resources and infrastructures. Each department submits the available electives postings in their department in prescribed template (Table 1) to MEU. MEU will preferably make available the list of electives to the learners at the beginning of the academic year.
Table 1: Template for elective
| Name of Elective |
| Name of Block |
| Location of hospital lab or research facility |
| Name of internal preceptor(s) |
| Name of external preceptor (if any) |
| Learning objectives of the elective |
| Number of students that can be accommodated in this elective |
| Prerequisites for the elective |
| Learning resources for students |
| List of activities in which the student will participate |
| Portfolio entries required |
| Logbook entry required |
| Assessment |
| Other comments |
In our institute commonly adopted mechanism to allocate elective is displayed in Fig. 1 and some topic also suggested for elective in Psychiatry (BOX 3). In each block of elective posting more than 75 % attended is compulsory to attend final year exam and in each block assessment, record keeping e.g: logbook , portfolio is mandatory.
BOX 3
