Clinical Curriculum

The clinical component of the five year MBBS program is imparting to each medical student graduate with the fundamental patient centered knowledge and skills important in health and disease as the basis of safe and effective patient care. Gap between the basic sciences and clinical medicine is bridged by providing the students with the knowledge and skills needed to evaluate patients while at the same time, emphasizing the importance and integration of basic sciences, behavioral medicine, ethics, and professionalism. The clinical phase of three years integrated curriculum prepares the medical student for effective delivery of health care to individual and society in practice of medicine.

The focus of this clinical phase through systems is on abnormal structure and function. Students rotate through a series of clinical clerkships which provide opportunities for the study of patients presenting with abnormal structure and function of the body systems. Clinical teaching complements actual clinical experience in patients. The epidemiology, etiology, and natural history of disease processes are investigated in greater depth than in preclinical phase. The principles of therapeutics are included in a consideration of the medical management of specific disease processes. The ethical implications of medical intervention are considered and the psychological and social consequences both of disease and medical intervention are reviewed.

The six general clinical competencies for medical school students include:

Integration of the Basic sciences in medicine
Integration of Clinical knowledge and Skills towards Patient Care
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Professionalism
Organization and Systems-Based approach to Medicine
Life long learning and self improvement

As a student progresses though the clinical curriculum of the medical school, his/her competencies and attainment of these educational objectives are periodically reviewed as they provide valuable guide to the organization of the knowledge, skills and attitudes learnt during this phase of their professional growth.

To ensure equivalent learning experiences for all medical students, a standardized curriculum is employed. This curriculum includes:

1. A common list of course objectives, to be met with regular course wise and system wise (where ever applicable), didactic lectures and clinical clerkship program,
2. A few common recommended / reference text books.
2. Participation in OSCE and
4. A series of asynchronous discussions and seminars leading to self directed learning.

After successful completion of the five year MBBS program, the students are required to undergo a compulsory one year rotational internship in the assigned hospital. Internship is a phase of training wherein a graduate is expected to conduct actual practice of medical and health care and acquire clinical skills under supervision, so as to enable him/her to function independently.