The Medical Council of India (MCI) has decided to introduce a new Pandemic Management module for MBBS students. The MCI has prepared revised regulations for Graduate Medical Education and competency-based undergraduate curricula, accompanied by detailed guidance for its implementation. This programme will enable an Indian Medical Graduate (IMG) to be prepared for the unknown and to be able to understand, investigate, treat and prevent new and emerging diseases as a clinician, community leader, and a scholar. The emergence of Covid-19 and its rapid spread across the globe has further underlined the need to develop these skills in medical graduates.
“This Pandemic Management module is designed to ensure that the MBBS student acquires competencies in handling not only the illness but also the social, legal and other issues arising from such disease outbreaks. A pandemic or disease outbreak calls in to play all the five roles envisaged for the Indian Medical Graduate viz clinician, communicator, leader and member of the health care team, professional, life-long learner, and committed to excellence, is ethical, responsive and accountable to patients. It is expected that this longitudinal module will ensure the creation of an IMG who will serve humanity as a doctor, leader and healer in bleak times such as the occurrence of a pandemic,” said Dr V.K. Paul, member of NITI Aayog.