MCI introduce compulsory research course for medical PG students and Faculty
Acknowledging the importance of research in learning, the Medical Council of India Board of Governors (MCI-BoG) has introduced a compulsory online course in basic research methods for all postgraduate students in the country and the faculties without prior research training.
The course will be mandatory for the medical PG students being admitted from the academic year 2019-20 onwards. As per an MCI-BoG source, the introduction of the course was overdue. “To comprehend the evidence published in biomedical literature, doctors need to have an understanding of research methods. Therefore, acquiring research skills is an integral component of postgraduate training in the country. To ensure that all postgraduate students and faculty acquire the necessary skills, the MCI Board of Governors has decided to introduce an online course in basic research methods for all PG students in the country and also for the faculty training them,” said the source.
The online course will be conducted by the National Institute of Epidemiology(NIE). The students have to complete the course by the end of the second semester and have to register on the NIE portal. The course allows flexible time to register and study through an eight-week module with inbuilt time-bound assignments and assessments. The course completion requires the candidate to appear for an online offsite exam, which will be held at a fixed time twice a year. After that, an online certificate will be issued on successful completion of course. This certificate will be considered as proof of completion of course. Though there won’t be any fees for this course, students have to pay the examination fee. The details regarding the examination fees will be available after the completion of registration. The portal for registering for the course for the current academic year will open by August 1, 2019. The details of the site and other details regarding the process of registration will be communicated in due course of time on MCI websites and by notification to the college.
Source: Medical Dialogues, The Tribune.