CHENNAI: MBBS students will be taught about the cost of treatments, healthcare financing and the impact of high medical bills on patients as part of a two-month foundation course, theMedical Council of India (MCI) has decided.
The national summit on medical education in Delhi on Monday also made it mandatory for all medicos to learn sociology, ethics, communication and stress management from 2012. Experts felt that medicos were traditionally less informed about the cost of tests and treatments they order for patients. During their course, students learn to prescribe tests and treatments based on their knowledge and scientific evidence. Discussing the cost is often a taboo when the professor and the student discuss treatment during hospital rounds. Thus, most doctors are not aware of cost-effective choices when they start practice.
"After all, doctors aren't just technicians. We need to teach them to be good humans since many families and schools hardly have the time for it these days," said Delhibased cardiac surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan.
MCI plans to make research must for teachers
Saranya S, a postgraduate in radiology, said it would help young doctors like her. "There's no disincentive for ordering costly tests. The hospitals have long lists of tests they offer and all we have to do is tick some of the applicable ones," she said.
On Monday, in the presence of Union health minister Gulam Nabi Azad, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) chairman Dr VM Katoch, MCI chairman Dr KK Talwar and representatives from different state governments agreed to introduce the foundation course. "We want to ensure that students know about the model code and ethics. Unlike other professions, doctors can be penalised for violation of medical ethics. The foundation course is just an introduction and will prompt students to continue discussions during the course," said MCI secretary Dr Sangeetha Sharma. Dr George Thomas, editor of the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, said the MCI should offer credit system for humanities in medicine like the IITs do so that students take the course seriously. "They need not have exams, but they should be credited with certificates or additional grades every academic year," he said.
For the teachers, the board is planning to make research mandatory. Dr Katoch, also union secretary for medical research, insisted on making research mandatory for all teaching faculty. At the discussion level, it was decided to make it mandatory for tutors and assistant professors to publish at least two papers in indexed medical journals to be eligible for promotions. A faculty member should have at least four publications in such journals for promotion as professors. "Institutions like the AIIMS, New Delhi, and Post-graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, follow this. Such professors also motivate students to do research," said former president of the National Board of Post-Graduate Examination Dr S Rajasekaran.
The national summit on medical education in Delhi on Monday also made it mandatory for all medicos to learn sociology, ethics, communication and stress management from 2012. Experts felt that medicos were traditionally less informed about the cost of tests and treatments they order for patients. During their course, students learn to prescribe tests and treatments based on their knowledge and scientific evidence. Discussing the cost is often a taboo when the professor and the student discuss treatment during hospital rounds. Thus, most doctors are not aware of cost-effective choices when they start practice.
"After all, doctors aren't just technicians. We need to teach them to be good humans since many families and schools hardly have the time for it these days," said Delhibased cardiac surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan.
MCI plans to make research must for teachers
Saranya S, a postgraduate in radiology, said it would help young doctors like her. "There's no disincentive for ordering costly tests. The hospitals have long lists of tests they offer and all we have to do is tick some of the applicable ones," she said.
On Monday, in the presence of Union health minister Gulam Nabi Azad, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) chairman Dr VM Katoch, MCI chairman Dr KK Talwar and representatives from different state governments agreed to introduce the foundation course. "We want to ensure that students know about the model code and ethics. Unlike other professions, doctors can be penalised for violation of medical ethics. The foundation course is just an introduction and will prompt students to continue discussions during the course," said MCI secretary Dr Sangeetha Sharma. Dr George Thomas, editor of the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, said the MCI should offer credit system for humanities in medicine like the IITs do so that students take the course seriously. "They need not have exams, but they should be credited with certificates or additional grades every academic year," he said.
For the teachers, the board is planning to make research mandatory. Dr Katoch, also union secretary for medical research, insisted on making research mandatory for all teaching faculty. At the discussion level, it was decided to make it mandatory for tutors and assistant professors to publish at least two papers in indexed medical journals to be eligible for promotions. A faculty member should have at least four publications in such journals for promotion as professors. "Institutions like the AIIMS, New Delhi, and Post-graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, follow this. Such professors also motivate students to do research," said former president of the National Board of Post-Graduate Examination Dr S Rajasekaran.
No comments:
Post a Comment