MCI introduces compulsory 1 month foundation course for MBBS students

All the MBBS students will undergo extensive training on ethics, professionalism, disability rights, soft skills, among others. Read more below.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has launched a one-month foundation course for all the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students across the country on Professionalism and Ethics. As a part of the foundation program, all the MBBS students will undergo extensive training on many things including, ethics, professionalism, disability rights, soft skills, communication, local language training and also practical exposure to health care services.

The new course will help the students in understanding their professional responsibility towards the patients. It will also help them understand disability rights and etiquettes to address patients with special needs. Additionally, all the MBBS students, under the foundation course, will undergo training which will help them develop skills to sensitively deal with patients. The course will have a special focus on patients with disabilities and hence the students will be trained on the same. As a part of the Professionalism and Ethics module, the students will be sensitized about disability rights and the disability etiquettes that needs to be followed with patients that need special care. The students will also undergo a class on medical and social models of disability. Accountability, altruism, empathy, compassion and humanism, are some of the key aspects that will also be discussed with the students as a part of the Professionalism Training.

The foundation course will also give training to the students for practical exposure. To orient the care delivery system, students will be sent to field visits to community and primary healthcare centres. There they will interact with the health care workers, patients and their families to understand the issues faced by them. Local language training would also enable the students to better communicate with the patients and understand their medical issues. A module on sports and extra-curricular activities has also been introduced so as to make the students understand the work-life balance. Sports and extra-curricular activities will be given 4 hours and 2 hours per week, respectively.