CMC doctor first visiting scholar to Skills lab of Jefferson University, USA

Ludhiana, May 29, 2019: Christina Medical College, Ludhiana is at the forefront is leading innovations in medical education and healthcare. Dr.Dinesh Badyal, Convener, Medical Council of India (MCI) Nodal Centre for Faculty Development and Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Department of Medical Education, CMC, Ludhiana was invited as First visiting scholar to Rector Clinical Skills and Simulation center of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA supported by FAIMER (Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education & Research), USA.

Dr.Badyal worked with world renowned simulation expects in medical education and learnt techniques in using low fidelity and high fidelity simulation in medical education. He explained that there is immediate need for all medical colleges to develop skill labs and simulation lab as needed by new curriculum for MBBS starting in 2019. He further added that the simulations are being used very commonly in airline industry and movies. These simulation techniques have reached advanced level and their potential should be explored in medical education to improve patient safety. He worked in Rector center with experts in advanced physical diagnosis using simulations, use of ultrasound based augmented reality for teaching medical students, training surgeons in use of simulators for various procedures, use of simulations in disaster management and training the medical students and clinicians in using various low cost simulations in trainings. During his 3 weeks scholar program he presented 2 grand rounds in Rector center on changing scenarios in medical education in India and role of low resource simulations in medical education. He led development of low resource simulations modules specific to Indian conditions; the first module is ready and will be tested now. The next 5 modules are in various stages of development.

Dr. Jeyaraj D. Pandian, Principal, CMC who was in Jefferson University and in FAIMER for collaboration added that CMC is using simulations in medical education for a long time and is training medical doctors in using simulations, skills labs and simulated patients through training program conducted at CMC in MCI Nodal center for Faculty Development and CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute.

Dr. William Bhatti, Director, CMC added that the Department of Medical Education, CMC is one of the best trained units in medical education in the country and faculties have been trained extensively in advanced course and degrees. He further added that CMC is doing their best to train the medical doctors to equip them with better clinical skills though these labs.

Dr. Badyal contributed significantly to new curriculum of MBBS as member of Reconciliation Board, MCI. Recently Dr. Badyal has been included as Memberof Expert Group, MCI for Implementation of competency based UG curriculum & uploading of yearly time table on respective college website. Dr. Badyal added that presently faculty in medical colleges is being trained for implementation of new curriculum for the upcoming batch of MBBS starting in August, 2019. Skills labs are mandatory in each medical college as per new curriculum. Skills labs include computer and non-computer based simulations, low fidelity simulations such as task trainer arms or simulated body parts as well as medium and high fidelity simulations such as whole body manikins with haptic feedback where you can simulate a disease on the manikin like manikin is having Myocardial infarction (heart attack) and medical doctors need to act accordingly. These are used in training and assessment of doctors.