Electives have been introduced in the new CBME curriculum of MBBS. This presentation is an attempt to provide some insights and ideas about Elective opportunities in Community Medicine.

1. Electives:
Opportunities in
Community Medicine
Dr. Animesh Jain
Dy. Coordinator, Medical Education Unit,
Professor of Community Medicine
Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore
Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India

2. “I never teach my pupils. I only attempt
to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”
-Albert Einstein
Electives - Dr Animesh Jain 2

3. Outline of the session
• Explain the rationale & pedagogical advantages of Electives
• Designing & incorporation in the curriculum
• Types and example of Electives
• Assessment of Electives
• Electives roll out
• Curricular governance
• Challenges and Feed forward
Electives - Dr Animesh Jain 3

4. Electives - Definition
No standard definition
Can refer to many widely differing curricular elements/ courses
during undergraduate training
within which there is a significant element of student choice
Students can choose depending upon
 their interest
 career preferences
Andrew Lumb & Deborah Murdoch-Eaton (2014) Electives in undergraduate medical education: AMEE Guide No. 88, Medical Teacher, 36:7, 557-572
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5. Elective??
• An elective is a learning experience created in the curriculum to
provide an opportunity for the learner to explore, discover and
experience areas or streams of interest.
• Objectives:
• To provide the learner with opportunities:
(a) For diverse learning experiences,
(b) To do research/community projects that will stimulate enquiry, self-
directed, experiential learning and lateral thinking.
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Source: MCI. Electives for the UG Medical Education Training Program, 2020: p 1-30.

6. Experiential
learning
Electives
SDL
Networking
Future
career
Aspirations
Vs reality
Source: MCI. Electives for the UG Medical Education Training Program, 2020: p 1-30.
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7. Electives
Experience
Hands - on
Explore
New areas
Discover
New avenues
Provide opportunity to student to
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8. Goal
• Diverse learning experiences
• Sensitise to hospital/ community based research projects
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9. Electives – Educational rationale
• Allow flexibility and choice
• Student centric component in curriculum
• Self directed learning skills
• Direct experience of working in interest areas
• Deep learning & Critical thinking
• Stimulates enquiry, self directed learning, experiential learning &
lateral thinking
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10. Electives - Dr Animesh Jain 10

11. Salient features of Electives in Block 1 & Block 2
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Source: MCI. Electives for the UG Medical Education Training Program, 2020

12. Electives - Dr Animesh Jain 12
Source: MCI. Electives for the UG Medical Education Training Program, 2020

13. Electives - Structure
Compulsory
NOT for making up
• Shortage of attendance
• Missed clinical postings
• Any other purpose
• Preclinical
• Para-clinical
• Other basic sciences
• Laboratory
• Under a faculty
researcher in an ongoing
research project
BLOCK 1
• Clinical department
• At a rural or urban
community clinic
BLOCK 2
REGULAR CLINICAL POSTING
CONTINUES
4
weeks
4
weeks
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NO REGULAR CLINICAL
POSTING

14. Electives – General & Laboratory
• Computer and Computer applications
• Bio-Informatics
• Immunology
• Genetics
• Tissue Culture, Tissue Engineering/Processing
• Pharmacokinetics/ Pharmacodynamics/ Pharmacoeconomics,
• Laboratory Sciences
• Toxicology
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15. Electives – Community Medicine
• Community Projects
Human Nutrition
Community radio
Geriatric centre
Leadership
Healthcare administration
• Educational
• Research Methodology – QUAN/QUAL
• Manuscript writing
• Systematic reviews
• Ethics – Research/ Public health
• Medical Education ??!
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NGOs
Tribal health clinic
Disaster preparedness

16. Electives - Designing
Each elective should have well defined
• Objectives
• Expected outcomes
• Assessment
• Faculty Supervisor/ Mentor
• Faculty guide
• Log Book
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17. Electives - Dr Animesh Jain 17
Source: MCI. Electives for the UG Medical Education Training Program, 2020

18. Assessment of Electives
• A log book/ portfolio
• Academic and non academic activities.
• Stories and reflection about each event.
• Grading can be done using checklists
• Checklist can be related to clinical skills, history taking skills, motivation and
interest, communication, team work, discipline, documentation etc
• Assess in between and at the end of each elective posting.
• Electives will also contribute towards internal marks.
• 75% attendance in the electives and Submission of elective log book will be
Mandatory for eligibility to appear in the final MBBS examination
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19. Electives - Dr Animesh Jain 19
Source: Shah H. Electives in Community Medicine. CBME in Community Medicine MEU India group

20. Curricular governance
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Adapted from: Shah H. Electives in Community Medicine. CBME in Community Medicine MEU India group

21. Challenges
• Monitoring
• Responsibility / Onus of external elective
• Logistic ...
• Training
• Trainee
• Manpower
• Resources
• Infrastructure
• Logistics/ Time
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22. Feed forward
• Logistic
• Creation of skill labs??
• Faculty development
• Technical skills
• Non Technical skills
• Creation of log books
• Faculty guides
• Relook at assessment patterns
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23. Questions received from participants
• What are the electives options in Community Medicine that can be
considered?
• How do we make it interesting for students to opt and not polarise
only towards clinical postings?
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24. Thank you
You may reach me via
animesh.jain@manipal.edu AND/OR 98450 32334
Acknowledgement:
- CBME in Community Medicine MEU India group
- Dr Hemangini Shah’s presentation
- Dr Rashmi Jain’s PPT for CISP II workshop