Medical education in India is at a crossroads; here’s a road map

The Indian government replaced a system — the Medical Council of India, which was regulating medical education and practice for over eight decades — due to allegations of inefficiency and corruption.

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NITI Aayog was a strong proponent of this change, and even the judiciary advocated the need to improve medical education. The Medical Council of India was superseded by the National Medical Commission in 2020, through an Act of Parliament, which now sets new standards and regulations to reform the system. This has compelled even private medical schools to comply with certain norms. The medical community, particularly academicians and educators, closely observe the NMC's operations. Although it may be premature to evaluate its performance within just four years, the regulators’ eagerness to implement significant changes to the curriculum has led to considerable disarray and confusion. Adhering to Western medical policies without considering India’s unique circumstances has contributed to this turmoil. The implementation of the new curriculum has been counter-productive in many medical schools. Competency-based medical education (CBME) was introduced to emphasise practical skills over theoretical knowledge. However, the opposite occurs, with more time allocated to lectures (symposiums, group discussions, seminars, etc.). Reforms have made medical education shrivelled and truncated. Previously, medical students would begin clinical rotations from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. after completing one and a half years (Basic Science) of the MBBS course. They would spend time in wards, procedure rooms, and operating theatres, with theory classes scheduled for the evening (2 p.m. to 4 p.m.). This schedule has been inverted, with students attending clinics after 10 a.m. and theory classes in the morning. Consequently, students are no longer seen with teachers during the morning rounds, a departure from the past when unit chiefs, associates, assistants, residents, and students were all prese