Starting August, all medical post graduate students will be required to take an online course on research methodology. A decision to make such a course mandatory was taken by the board of governors of the Medical Council of India on Thursday. Members of the board include Dr V.K. Paul, member, Niti Aayog, Dr Randeep Guleria, director, AIIMS and Dr Balram Bhargava, director general, Indian Council of Medical Research.
"In order to improve the research skills of post-graduate students, it was felt that there should a uniform research methodology course across the country. All PGs will have to complete the basic research methodology course by the end of their second semester," an MCI official told THE WEEK.
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Though teaching faculty in medical colleges would be “encouraged” to take the course, the board was yet to take a decision on whether the course would be mandatory for them.
The course will be conducted by the National Institute of Epidemiology, ICMR, Chennai. Students will be required to register and pay the examination fee on the institute's portal. The course would allow a flexible time for students and faculty to register, and would continue for eight weeks with in-built assignments and assessments. Students would also be required to take an online, offsite exam twice a year.
The board has decided to approve a committee for planning and executing the course. Members of the committee include Dr S. Ramji, department of paediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College, Dr Shally Awasthi, KGMC, Lucknow and Dr Jeeva Shankar, AIIMS, New Delhi. An advisory group would also be constituted for designing and implementing the online course.
