American Journal of Educational Research
ISSN (Print): 2327-6126 ISSN (Online): 2327-6150 Website: https://www.sciepub.com/journal/education Editor-in-chief: Ratko Pavlović
Open Access
Journal Browser
Go
American Journal of Educational Research. 2025, 13(1), 29-37
DOI: 10.12691/education-13-1-4
Open AccessEditorial

Are Medical Graduates Adequately Trained? A Critical Viewpoint on Factors Influencing Medical Education in India

Venkataramana Kandi1,

1Department of Microbiology Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences Karimnagar Telangana India

Pub. Date: January 17, 2025

Cite this paper:
Venkataramana Kandi. Are Medical Graduates Adequately Trained? A Critical Viewpoint on Factors Influencing Medical Education in India. American Journal of Educational Research. 2025; 13(1):29-37. doi: 10.12691/education-13-1-4

Abstract

With an unwavering motivation to improve the doctor-to-patient ratio, the Indian government has been taking initiatives to increase the establishment of medical colleges throughout the country, allowing more and more aspirants to pursue their goal of becoming trained medical doctors. The National Medical Commission (NMC), the regulatory authority of medical education (ME) in India has been busy trying to improve the standards of ME by implementing changes in the curriculum for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Additionally, the National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET), a nationwide unified testing system, has been used to admit medical students to medical college courses. Although this all looks development in the right direction, several issues are plaguing the ME and health system including the standards of an Indian Medical Graduate (IMG), the functioning of both private and government medical institutions, faculty issues, and the overall educational environment prevailing in the country. This editorial discusses the current situation, the factors influencing medical training, and potential immediate measures required for holistic improvement.

Keywords:
Indian government medical colleges medical doctors medical education national medical council (NMC) Indian Medical Graduates (IMG) medical students National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET)

Creative CommonsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]  MoHFW says medical seats have nearly doubled in past 10 years. (2024). Accessed: November 11, 2024: https:// bestcolleges. indiatoday.in/ news-detail/mohfw-says-medical-seats-have-nearly-doubled-in-past-10-years.
 
[2]  India surpasses WHO guidelines with 1: 900 doctor-to-population ratio. (2024). Accessed: November 11, 2024: https:// timesofindia. indiatimes.com/india/india-surpasses-who-guidelines-with- 1900-doctor-to-population-ratio/articl.
 
[3]  Medical doctors (per 10 000 population). (2024). Accessed: November 11, 2024: https:// www.who.int/ data/ gho/ data/ indicators/indicator-details/GHO/medical-doctors-(per-10-000-population).
 
[4]  Ministry of health and family welfare. Update on ratio of patients and doctors nurses. (2023). Accessed: December 07, 2024: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1985423.
 
[5]  Bannur S, Veggalam S, Vadakedath S, Kandi V: A study on the medical students' perspectives of their educational environment using the Dundee ready educational environment measure (DREEM) at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Telangana, India. Cureus. 2024, 16:e73272. 10.7759/cureus.73272.
 
[6]  Kandi V: All that glitters is not gold: the indian healthcare system. Cureus. 2023, 15:e39892. 10.7759/cureus.39892.
 
[7]  Gopalakrishnan S, Catherine AP, Kandasamy S, Ganesan H: Challenges and opportunities in the implementation of competency-based medical education - A cross-sectional survey among medical faculty in India. J Educ Health Promot. 2022, 11:206. 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1130_21.
 
[8]  Mahajan R, Virk A, Saiyad S, et al.: Stages of concern of medical faculty toward adoption of competency-based medical education in India: a multicentric survey. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2022, 12:87-94. 10.4103/ijabmr.ijabmr_816_21.
 
[9]  Ai Li E, Wilson CA, Davidson J, Kwong A, Kirpalani A, Wang PZT: Exploring perceptions of competency-based medical education in undergraduate medical students and faculty: a program evaluation. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2023, 14:381-389. 10.2147/AMEP.S399851.
 
[10]  Ramanathan R, Shanmugam J, Sridhar MG, Palanisamy K, Narayanan S: Exploring faculty perspectives on competency-based medical education: A report from India. J Educ Health Promot. 2021, 10:402. 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1264_20.
 
[11]  Youm J, Christner J, Hittle K, Ko P, Stone C, Blood AD, Ginzburg S: The 6 degrees of curriculum integration in medical education in the United States. J Educ Eval Health Prof. 2024, 21:15. 10.3352/jeehp.2024.21.15.
 
[12]  Minimum standard requirements for the medical college for 100 admissions annually regulations, 1999. (2016). Accessed: December 07, 2024: https:// dme.ap.nic.in/mci/ 2016_ Minimum% 20Standard%20Requirements%20for%20100%20Admissions.pdf.
 
[13]  Malau-Aduli BS, Roche P, Adu M, Jones K, Alele F, Drovandi A: Perceptions and processes influencing the transition of medical students from pre-clinical to clinical training. BMC Med Educ. 2020, 20:279. 10.1186/s12909-020-02186-2.
 
[14]  Lee HJ, Kim DH, Kang YJ: Understanding medical students' transition to and development in clerkship education: a qualitative study using grounded theory. BMC Med Educ. 2024, 24:910. 10.1186/s12909-024-05778-4.
 
[15]  Appel G, Shahzad AT, Reopelle K, DiDonato S, Rusnack F, Papanagnou D: Exploring medical student experiences of trauma in the emergency department: opportunities for trauma-informed medical education. West J Emerg Med. 2024, 25:828-837. 10.5811/westjem.18498.
 
[16]  Gale J, Tomlinson RW, Anderson J: Changing attitudes of medical teachers towards medical education. Med Educ. 1976, 10:250-4. 10.1111/j.1365-2923.1976.tb00453.x.
 
[17]  Nawabi S, Shaikh SS, Javed MQ, Riaz A: Faculty's perception of their role as a medical teacher at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Cureus. 2020, 12:9095. 10.7759/cureus.9095.
 
[18]  Paritakul P, Wongwandee M, Tantitemit T, Pumipichet S, Dennick R: Level of confidence in the 12 roles of medical teacher. a descriptive study at faculty of medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand. J Med Assoc Thai. 2015, 98:38-44.
 
[19]  Al-Mohaimeed AA: Comparison between faculty and students perspectives on the qualities of a good medical teacher: a cross-sectional study. Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2018, 12:15-20.
 
[20]  Al-Mohaimeed AA, Khan NZ: Perceptions of Saudi medical students on the qualities of effective teachers. A cross sectional study. Saudi Med J. 2014, 35:183-8.
 
[21]  Singh S, Pai DR, Sinha NK, Kaur A, Soe HH, Barua A: Qualities of an effective teacher: what do medical teachers think?. BMC Med Educ. 2013, 13:128. 10.1186/1472-6920-13-128.
 
[22]  Sajjad T, Khan HF, Yasmeen R, Waqas A: Language of actions: the effects of teacher's kinesics on student learning and learning environment. J Educ Health Promot. 2023, 12:53 10. 10.4103/jehp.jehp_992_22.
 
[23]  Aziz A, Khan AM, Niazi Z, Mirza TI, Fazal S: Actions speak louder than words: impact of kinesics on undergraduate medical education. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2021, 33:628-633.
 
[24]  Aziz A, Farhan F, Hassan F, Qaiser A: Words are just noise, let your actions speak: impact of nonverbal communication on undergraduate medical education. Pak J Med Sci. 2021, 37:1849-1853. 10.12669/pjms.37.7.4180.
 
[25]  Murakami M, Jin S, Takeuchi A, Matoba K: Nonverbal communication skills: new-era education needs of younger generation medical students. Pak J Med Sci. 2022, 38:1724-1725. 10.12669/pjms.38.6.6058.
 
[26]  Ramana KV: Mindset in medical teaching and learning. J Contemp Med Educ. 2015, 3: 1.
 
[27]  A study of attitudes of faculty and administrators towards interprofessional education. (2012). Accessed: November 11, 2024: https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/3091.
 
[28]  Im JH, Ahn JM, Lee SH: Perceptions of organization, job attitudes, challenges, and solutions among medical school administrative staff. Korean J Med Educ. 2024, 36:287-302. 10.3946/ kjme. 2024. 303.
 
[29]  Daugherty RM Jr: Leading among leaders: the dean in today's medical school. Acad Med. 1998, 73:649-53. 10.1097/00001888-199806000-00010.
 
[30]  Lekamwasam S: Clinician-administrator; challenges associated with changing roles. MedEdPublish (2016). 2017, 6:99. 10.15694/mep.2017.000099.
 
[31]  Lee A, Hoyle E: Who would become a successful dean of faculty of medicine: academic or clinician or administrator?. Med Teach. 2002, 24:637-41. 10.1080/0142159021000063970.
 
[32]  Kyamanywa P, Redding P: What are the key leadership competencies required by medical school deans in Uganda? a qualitative cross-sectional study. Afr Health Sci. 2021, 21:1950-1959. 10.4314/ahs.v21i4.54.
 
[33]  Hromas R, Leverence R, Mramba LK, et al.: What a medical school chair wants from the dean. J Healthc Leadersh. 2018, 10:33-44. 10.2147/JHL.S158937.
 
[34]  Jain A: Demise of the stethoscope. Med J Armed Forces India. 2022, 78:1-2. 10.1016/j.mjafi.2021.09.010.
 
[35]  Veerraju Adabala NVV, Prabha Kona, JS, Babu Goru Krishna, Sesi Devarakonda AVS: Babji Korukonda. Students attitude towards newer methods of medical education teaching in CBME phase-1 (Anatomy) in a Government Medical College, Andhra Pradesh. Journal of Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences. 2022, 11:215-219. 10.4103/jdrntruhs.jdrntruhs_163_21.
 
[36]  Wilkes M, Raven BH: Understanding social influence in medical education. Acad Med. 2002, 77:481-8. 10.1097/00001888-200206000-00003.
 
[37]  Schwind CJ, Boehler ML, Rogers DA, Williams RG, Dunnington G, Folse R, Markwell SJ: Variables influencing medical student learning in the operating room. Am J Surg. 2004, 187:198-200. 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2003.11.024.
 
[38]  Cruess RL, Cruess SR, Boudreau JD, Snell L, Steinert Y: Reframing medical education to support professional identity formation. Acad Med. 2014, 89:1446-51. 10.1097/ ACM. 0000000000000427.
 
[39]  Møller JE, Skipper M, Sunde L, Sørensen A, Balslev T, Andreassen P, Malling B: How doctors build community and socialize into a clinical department through morning reports. A positioning theory study. PLoS One. 2023, 18:0284999. 10.1371/journal.pone.0284999.
 
[40]  Møller JE, Skipper M, Sunde L, Sørensen A, Balslev T, Malling BV: Exploring formal and informal learning opportunities during morning report: a qualitative study. BMC Med Educ. 2024, 24:184. 10.1186/s12909-024-05151-5.
 
[41]  Wykowski JH: Finding your voice to champion hope in the intensive care unit. ATS Sch. 2022, 3:343-346. 10.34197/ats-scholar.2022-0032VL.
 
[42]  Pallamparthy S, Basavareddy A: Knowledge, attitude, practice, and barriers toward research among medical students: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey. Perspect Clin Res. 2019, 10:73-78. 10.4103/picr.PICR_1_18.
 
[43]  Jarab AS, Al-Qerem W, Alzoubi KH, Abu Heshmeh SR, Hayek M, Al Hamarneh YN, Aburuz S: Confidence, attitude, and practice of scientific research among health professions' students in the United Arab Emirates. PLoS One. 2024, 19:0304357. 10.1371/journal.pone.0304357.
 
[44]  Roy P, Deb N, Mukherjee D: From hurdles to highlights: the need for research integration in UG medical curriculum. J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2024, 11:23821205241294227. 10.1177/ 23821205241294227.
 
[45]  Vadakedath S, Kandi V: Research orientation among undergraduate medical students. Perspect Med Res. 2021, 9:2-11. 10.47799/pimr.0901.02.
 
[46]  Faculty shortage sparks protest at Asifabad Government Medical College. https:// www.thehindu.com/ news/ national/t elangana/ faculty-shortage-sparks-protest-at-asifabad-government-medical-college/article69053975.ece Last Accessed: January 13, 2025.
 
[47]  Medical Education: Medical colleges without teachers are doctors who can't perform surgery! https:// www.andhrajyothy.com/ 2025/telangana/decline-in-quality-of-engineering-and-medical-education-1359104.html Last Accessed: January 13, 2025.