CRITERIA-VII

INNOVATIONS AND BEST PRACTICES

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7.1 Environment Consciousness 7.1.1 Does the institution conduct a Green Audit of its Campus The institution is conscious of its green responsibilities and endeavours at every step to be as environmentally friendly as is feasible in is functional constraints as will be outlined from the responses below. However apart from self awareness and internal efforts at being green it has not undergone and external or third party audit at its campus thus far. 7.1.2 What are the green initiatives …  Energy conservation – The institution has started converting all its electrical lighting, from compact Fluorescent lamp based to LED based lighting systems, in an ongoing effort to reduce its energy utilization foot print, in a phased manner. At present we are making our way through this initiative, several buildings have been fitted with LED lighting.  Use of renewable energy – The institution has rooftop located solar water heating system for energy conservation and use of renewable sources of energy. These are installed in heavier demand areas such as the wards and OT Block. The use of solar water heating system is also being extended to other blocks of the institution, however, as there is limited roof space available in the multistoried blocks, further scope of solar power for water heating has become limited.  Water harvesting – all the building drainage and rain-water run off systems of the campus have been designed and constructed by the PWD in a manner so as to enable ground water recharging.  Solar panels – Due to limited roof area available in the multistoried blocks. There is now limited scope for viable/significant deployment of solar panels. However, this matter is still being explored through PWD and if technically feasible/ viable, it is planned in the near future.  Efforts for attainment of carbon neutrality – the institution is using many techniques to reduce energy utilization (as mentioned earlier) and to use renewable energy sources. It has also invested considerable time, manpower and money in horticultural activities and efforts for greening of campus, as well as, planting of trees, towards attaining carbon neutrality. However, a detailed audit of the campus in this regard, has not been taken.  Plantation (of botanical or medicinal significance) – The institution’s horticulture activities are coordinated along with hospital’s horticulture department which maintains the campus greenery and manages a Nursery near Gate No.8 of the campus. The institution expends time and manpower in maintaining greenery in the campus, towards carbon neutrality. In addition, the institution has green

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plants / trees of medicinal / botanical significance, planted near the college building, with the help of experts available for such activities. These plants are grown and replenished when depleted. These plants have been labeled for the benefit of students and general public, to raise awareness.  Bio-hazardous waste management – Bio-hazardous waste of institution is managed according to national guidelines. The institution follows the NACO/national guidelines for hazardous medical waste segregation and disposal, making use of color coded plastic bag of approved material and thickness for general items and puncture–proof containers for sharps. The institution has its own incinerator as well as autoclaving facilities to help make the bio-medical waste non-hazardous before final disposal.  E-waste management – E-waste generated in the hospital is segregated in the institution and disposed off through accredited and approved e-waste disposal agencies, and following appropriate procedure, according to the state and national guidelines.  Effluent treatment and recycling plants – the institution has its own water effluent treatment plant for managing the waste water and sewage generated from its buildings and the recycled water is used for campus horticulture activities.  Though conscious and mindful of its environmental responsibilities, and, the need for setting an example, as well as highlighting any steps taken, for students to follow, the institution has not yet undergone any formal audit by an expert third party or external agency or, awarded any recognition certification for either carbon neutrality or any other certification for environment friendliness thus far.

7.1.3 The institution, along with attached GTB Hospital has its own hospital infection control cell (HICC). Its activities are coordinated by Microbiology department, and the HICC is involved in both active and passive surveillance measures, for monitoring presence of infection causing micro organisms prevalent both in the hospital (Inpatient’s) as well as, in out patient’s (OPD) and their anti-microbial sensitivity and generating reports regarding the same from time to time. The Microbiology Department and HICC is also involved and monitoring clean spaces and OTs, and helps in the monitoring and reporting of outbreaks / epidemics amongst patients/community such as Dengue, Chikungunya, Malaria, etc.. They have their own standard operating procedures, which are upgraded from time to time, to be in accordance with national and international norms while being realistically feasible to implement.

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Radiation safety measures prevalent in the institution are mainly those that are prevalent in Radiology & Imaging department, in accordance with DAE & BARC guidelines followed nation- wide, for personal, as well as, environment monitoring of the department concerned. As there is no department of nuclear medicine or radio-therapy, radioactive material handling and issues arising as a consequence thereof are non-existent.

7.1.4 The institution has not been audited or accredited by any other agency such as NABL, NABH however the GNCT of Delhi has plans for the same for the hospital. This attempt at NAAC accreditation is such an endeavour.

7.2 Innovations 7.2.1 Medical Education Unit (MEU) with an expanded scope The Medical Education Unit is located on the second floor of the Library building in the college premises. It is open from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm, Monday to Friday, and from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm on Saturday. The mandate to the MEU defines eight tasks: Faculty Development, Research in Medical Education, Development of a Resource Center, Continuing Medical Education, Policy Development, Developing Systems of Assessment, Developing Communication Links, and Developing and implementing Instructional Design. A brief description of the activities of the MEU, UCMS in the year 2014 is attached (Annexure-7.1).

Medical Education Unit Activities in brief: Research in Medical Education One of the prime objectives of the MEU is to promote research in Medical Education. The main goals are to: Conduct policy oriented research in medical education; Translate research into practical improvements in medical education; and Train medical education researchers.

Faculty Development Workshop

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The Medical Education Unit organizes several workshops aimed at improving the teaching - learning skills at undergraduate, postgraduate and senior resident level as well as for faculty development. The faculty development workshop has been held for the faculty of UCMS, with the objectives to allow participants to be better able to: have a greater understanding of how students learn, and utilize different learning technologies when appropriate; have a range of strategies from which to plan, implement and evaluate their own teaching to engage students in the learning process; demonstrate competence and skill in understanding and using a range of assessment methods commonly used in Medical Education; give feedback in an appropriate manner; and employ goal-seeking behavior and team-work in medical education, and as life skills.

Senior Resident Training on Educational Principles (STEP) Three day orientation workshop was designed by the MEU. The objective of STEP was to provide the residents a repertoire of pedagogical practices from which to plan, implement and evaluate their own teaching to engage students in the learning process and to demonstrate competence and skill in understanding and using a range of assessment methods, to give feedback in an appropriate manner and to employ goal-seeking behavior and team-work in medical education.

Thesis writing workshop & Protocol writing workshop Writing a Thesis is a teaching-learning method. It teaches you research methodology and biomedical communication. The thesis is a essential part of the MD/MS/MDS program. The MEU holds regular thesis protocol writing workshops for the first year MD/MD/MDS students and thesis writing workshops for the final year students.

The program for thesis writing workshop for second year postgraduate students is attached. (Annexure-7.2) The program for thesis protocol writing workshop for first year postgraduate students is attached. (Annexure-7.3)

7.2.2 Multidisciplinary Modular teaching at UCMS

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Multidisciplinary Teaching / Learning Module on ‘Injury Prevention and Control’ for sixth semester students of UCMS and GTBH Modular teaching on Prevention and Control of Injuries was initiated in 2008, as part of a WHO SEARO initiative. After the success of the first session at UCMS, it has been worked into the regular undergraduate curriculum, and is now being conducted under the aegis of the Medical Education Unit.

A ten day module is conducted every April for sixth semester students. Involving a multidisciplinary approach, it includes lectures, hands-on tutorials, and student seminars. Nearly every specialty has a role to play in injury prevention; hence a multidisciplinary approach. Principal areas that are covered in the module include: Road traffic injuries, fall-related injuries, drowning, burns, poisoning, occupational injuries and work safety, violence related injuries, animal related injuries and disaster preparedness.

Copy of the 7th Multidisciplinary T/L Module on Injury Prevention and Control for 6th Semester held from 3rdApril – 15th April 2014 is attached (Annexure-7.4)

7.2.3 Mentoring programme Mentoring is a relationship between a more experienced person (mentor) and a less experienced one (mentee). New entrants to the professional course at the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) have a unique opportunity to be mentored by senior medical students and a board of faculty mentors. The Student Mentoring Program at UCMS was designed by a group of dedicated faculty and students to facilitate informal out-of-classroom conversations between faculty, senior students and new entrants. The broad aim is to enhance the University experience for all. The short term goal is to introduce an immediate support network for incoming students. Thus, new entrants will get familiar with life at college, academically and culturally, so that they can better achieve their full academic potential. The long term goal is to cultivate a mentoring culture at UCMS and GTB Hospital that will engage all strata of students and every faculty member.

7.2.4 Disability Support Service

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UCMS is committed to providing equal access to education and equal opportunities for students with disabilities. Students are encouraged to be open about their disability and to discuss their individual needs with the Enabling Unit. Students should disclose a disability early in the academic year to ensure that essential support can be provided on time. The Enabling Unit adheres to University of Delhi’s policy regarding students and staff with disability. The Unit strives for improvement in the overall infrastructure, and in the learning and teaching process for the academic community. The University College of Medical Sciences also has an Equal Opportunity Cell that ensures affirmative action with regard to persons belonging to marginalized sections of society and persons with disability.

An action report of the Enabling Unit, UCMS - ACE (Access, Communication, Education) action report is attached. (Annexure-7.5)

7.2.5 Medical Humanities 'Medical Humanities' has been defined as an integrated, inter-disciplinary philosophical approach to recording and interpreting human experience of illness, disability and medical intervention. The Medical Education Unit formed the ‘Medical Humanities Group’ (MHG) on 1st April 2009. Being one of the first medical institutes in India to start such a program, we are still evolving. The reason for its genesis was the belief that medical students in India are focused from an early age on science subjects; dissociation from the humanities stream results in an unbalanced world-view. The various activities under the Medical Humanities Group include 'Confluence' (lecture series), Street Theater by students of UCMS, SPIC-MACAY activities, poetry recitation, Theater of the Oppressed Workshop, Infinite ability (disability sub-group), Gang-Green (Environmental Group), and Comicos (Graphic Medicine Club). Students may choose to become part of any sub-group, or may volunteer for starting one (like History of Medicine, Ethics, Narrative Medicine etc).

7.2.6 Theatre of the Oppressed In order that trust and a strong relationship between the physician and the patient be established, it is not only necessary to promote greater understanding between the doctor and the patient but also provide enabling solutions where all stakeholders see themselves as a part of the larger

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society we all live in. Improvement in communication and hence greater caring will likely occur automatically if both the lay society and the physician community develop understanding about themselves. This awareness of oneself and one’s relationship to the society we live is one aspect of human personality and development that Theatre of the Oppressed techniques enable.

A two-day workshop in theatre of the oppressed culminated in a Forum performance at the University College of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India. This was the first time that a Theatre of the Oppressed workshop was being conducted exclusively for medical students. The workshop and the benefits it had to offer were received with great enthusiasm.

7.2.7 Infinite Ability Infinite Ability is an attempt to provide an insight into the experience of living and coping with impairment. It is about exploring disability through creativity. A new special-interest-group created within Medical Humanities Group of University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India. The main purpose of the group is the promotion and coordination among Medical Persons with Disabilities (MPwD) by utilizing Medical Humanitarian approaches to focus on four competency-based learning objectives: Narrative Medicine/Graphic Medicine, Interpersonal and Communication Skills (Theatre of the Oppressed), Patient Care and Professionalism.

7.2.8 Gang-green Gang-green is the environmental lobby of the Medical Humanities group. It proposes to disseminate awareness about environmental degradation and to initiate sustainable change.

7.2.9 SPIC MACAY and UCMS The Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY) is a voluntary youth movement which promotes intangible aspects of Indian cultural heritage by promoting Indian classical music, classical dance, folk music, yoga, meditation, crafts and other aspects of Indian culture; it is a movement with chapters in over 300 towns all over the world. Some of the activities of SPIC MACAY that have been organized in UCMS include "Save the tiger and may be also the RudraVeena" - Guest lecture by Dr. Kiran Seth, founder of SPIC MACAY

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in 2015, SPIC MACAY Lecture-Demonstration Bharatnatyam by Lavanya Ananth in February 2012, Mohan Veena Recital September 2011, PatherPanchali February2011, Kathak performance by Padamshree Shovana Narayan, Charlie Chaplin's first talking film'The great Dictator' in 2010.

7.2.10 Newsletter COSMOS- The UCMS Newsletter The UCMS and GTBH launched the first issue of its newsletter 'COSMOS' on 2nd May 2011. Copy of the COSMOS newsletter 2013 issue is attached (Annexure-7.6)

7.2.11 E-Journal Research and Humanities in Medical Education (RHiME) The Medical Humanities Group, UCMS launched its flagship journal Research and Humanities in Medical Education (RHiME) in April 2014. RHiME is an open access, peer-reviewed, online journal devoted to the Humanities in Medical Education. It has been assigned ISSN (online) number 23500565. The stated aim of the journal is to encourage contributions from and discussion between teachers and students, doctors and patients, the sick and their care-providers, and between health policy makers and policy users. The Editorial Board invites authors to submit original work relating to Medical Education and Medical Humanities. The following types of articles are published: Invited Editorial, Original Article, Student Original Article, Review article: systematic critical assessment of literature/artwork/film/practice, Narrative Medicine [either in English or an Indian Vernacular language (with translation into English where available)], Perspective, Poetry and Fiction [either in English or an Indian Vernacular language (with translation into English where available)], History of Medicine, Chhayankan (Visual Art), Research Brief, Letter to the Editor, Announcements and News, Discover.

An Editorial article published in the journal RHiME is attached. (Annexure-7.7)

7.2.12 Department of Biostatistics & Medical Informatics

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This Department was initially called Computer Centre and then Division of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics and started in the year 1995 as an independent unit. It was upgraded as the full Department in the year 2005. The Department provides all biostatistics and computer related services. All kinds of biostatistical consultation from the planning stage of the analysis of data are provided to the faculty for research and post-graduate theses. The thrust areas of research are health indicators and health databases.

7.2.13 National Knowledge Network (NKN) The NKN is a state-of-the-art multi-gigabit pan-India data network for providing a unified high speed network backbone for all knowledge related institutions in the country. The purpose of such a knowledge network goes to the very core of the country's quest for building quality institutions with requisite research facilities and creating a pool of highly trained professionals. The NKN will enable scientists, researchers and students from different backgrounds and diverse geographies to work closely for advancing human development in critical and emerging areas. UCMS is one of the first medical colleges in Delhi to join the NKN as a nodal institution.

7.2.14 Intra Mural Research Grant Research is an integral part of development of Science and Medicine. In order to encourage post graduate students and young Faculty members to undertake minor/pilot research projects relevant to health sector, the college has launched a scheme of providing Intra-Mural Research Grant (IMRG) to facilitate experimentation of novel ideas. A maximum amount of Rs.25,000/- for each proposal in one Financial Year is sanctioned under the Scheme. In the year 2011-12 a total of 52 IMRG projects have been sanctioned with a total sanctioned value of Rs. 9.99 lacs.

7.2.15 Hospital Infection Control Committee The Hospital Infection Control Committee (HICC) is involved in annual surveillance of environmental monitoring of all OT’s and quality testing of water supply to the Hospital and Residential areas. It also undertakes outbreak investigation as a part of surveillance activity.

7.2.16 Problem based Learning

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Some departments have started introducing a newer and probably more effective way of teaching in the form of problem based learning. In this the students are introduced to clinical scenario/case based on the topic the teacher intends the student to learn. It is important that the students are naïve to the topic. While trying to solve the problem in a group discussion the students identify the learning needs and go home and try to read about them. In the next session they come back and share the knowledge they have gathered amongst their peer group. The teacher acts as a facilitator and only guides the group. He/she does not give out any information to the student. At the end of each session the students give their feedback by filling up a well structured feedback form. This form of self directed learning has been well accepted by the student as evident from the positive feedback given by the students at the end of each session. At present Physiology and Biochemistry departments are conducting PBL sessions regularly. There is need of horizontal and vertical integration to make this more effective

7.2.17 Research Cell The research cell of UCMS was constituted to facilitate research amongst faculty members and students. The Research cell is chaired by Prof Meera Sikka. Three committees associated with the research cell are Research Project Advisory Committee (RPAC), Institutional Ethical Committee-Human Research (IEC-HR), and Institutional Ethical Committee-Animal Research (IEC-AR). Functions The research cells deals with a. Managing intramural and extramural research grants b. Helping the researcher in procuring instruments, chemicals and other miscellaneous items needed for research activity. c. Organizing and facilitating meetings of the three associated committees.

7.2.18 Skill laboratory

The college had the distinction of receiving a special grant of Rs. 50 lacs from the University Grants Commission (UGC) for setting up of a Skill Laboratory. The laboratory is used regularly by various teaching departments of the college for providing skill training programmes to various 10

beneficiaries such as undergraduate students, interns, postgraduate students and senior resident doctors. The departments that have been providing skill training programmes using the facilities available in the skill laboratory include the departments of Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Anaesthesia, Orthopedics etc.

7.3 Best Practices

7.3.1 Give details of any two best practices that have contributed to better academic and administrative functioning of the institution.

Title of the First Practice –

Medical Education Unit (MEU) at UCMS, with an expanded scope

(a) Objective of the practice:

To work towards faculty development, research in medical education, development of a resource center, continuing medical education, policy development, developing systems of assessment, developing communication links, and developing and implementing instructional design. All these well set objectives are aimed at smoothening and enriching the campus learning experience of the medical student /doctor with the aim of enabling creation of well rounded doctors/professional well capable of the service of humanity.

(b) Context:

The Medical Council of India, by the MCI Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997, made it mandatory for all medical colleges to establish Medical Education Units (MEUs) or departments, in order to enable faculty members to avail modern education technology for teaching. Towards this end UCMS established its Medical Education Unit, which has been working with zeal and commitment towards the stated goals. Over a period of time, it was realized that MCI’s mandate for MEU’s in medical colleges was limited to improving outcomes of professional teaching and learning but did not aid the student in any way in becoming a well rounded and good human being. Keeping this in mind the MEU at UCMS has taken up challenging issues that go beyond the mandate by MCI, to strive for excellence at the institution in spheres of learning other than medical academics alone.

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(c) Practice

The institution has developed a vibrant and active Medical Education Unit over the years of its existence. Several faculty members of the institution are directly involved in the daily activities of the MEU and, many more support wholeheartedly the various activities organized by the MEU as needed, from time to time. The Medical Education Unit organizes several workshops aimed at improving the teaching - learning skills at undergraduate, postgraduate and senior resident level as well as for faculty development. As one of its unique practice, training courses on educational principles have been organized for senior resident doctors, many of whom represent future faculty members, medical practitioners and researchers. One of the prime objectives of the MEU is to promote research in Medical Education. The MEU holds regular thesis protocol writing workshops for the first year MD/MD/MDS students and thesis writing workshops for the final year students. Another unique initiative under the aegis of the MEU is a multidisciplinary teaching-learning module on ‘injury prevention and control’ for undergraduate students of the college, that is being regularly held annually for the benefit of each new batch. The Student Mentoring Program is also run by the MEU and provides a holistic support system to the new entrants in the medical college.

The Enabling Unit and the Equal Opportunity Cell of UCMS, function through active support and coordination by the MEU. MEU show its commitment towards this best practice of providing equal access to medical education and equal opportunities for students with disabilities.

The Medical Humanities Group formed by the MEU represents another innovative practice by the MEU UCMS. Various other activities of the MEU include 'Confluence' (lecture series), Street Theater by students of UCMS, SPIC-MACAY activities, poetry recitation, Theater of the Oppressed Workshop and Infinite ability (disability sub-group).

(d) Evidence of Success

The MEU has been diligently and regularly holding all its activities towards the achievement of its stated objectives. Information about all the activities, events, workshops being held by the MEU UCMS is made available on its own website www.medicaleducationunit.yolasite.com. The website is regularly updated with information about upcoming events and in several cases support material is made available for the beneficiaries after a program is over, e.g. for thesis writing workshops.The MEU has had the pleasure of launching its flagship journal Research and Humanities in Medical Education (RHiME) which represents an effort towards ensuring development in the field of medical education and medical humanities not just in the institution but beyond it too.

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7.3.2 Title of the Second Practice – Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MRU) a) Goal:

i) To promote and facilitate research amongst Faculty and students of all departments. ii) To make state of the art research instruments and facilities available for all those who are interested in quality research.

These two goals are largely derived from the institutional goal of encouraging and promoting the practice of top quality medical research amongst the students and faculty. The MEU and DBMI also contribute to this effort by orienting and helping plan relevant top quality biomedical research. b) Context: Most of the faculty members and students who had been oriented and trained in research with the help of efforts of MEU, were hesitant to plan and execute laboratory based research work of international standards, due to lack of essential high end instruments. It is always difficult to procure such costly instruments by individual researchers through funded projects. Therefore, with the help of a grant from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MRU) was established, to procure and maintain quality instruments, which will foreseeably enable the researchers of the institute to widen their horizon of research activity and realize their potential as researchers while also contributing significantly to the progress of medical science. c) Practice

Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MRU) A centralized Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MRU) was established with funding from Ministry of Health And Family welfare under the scheme of “Development of Infrastructure for Promotion of Health Research” as per letter no V.25011/570(i)/2010- HR. The total grant received was Rs. 6.25 Crores. Three spaces were identified in the college block and three Central Research Laboratories (CRLs) were established under the Scheme:

CRL I has the following instruments: HPLC, Gene Sequencer, Real time PCR, Gradient PCR. Flash Chromatography Gel Documentation system, Water purification system, Nanodrop.

CRL II has the following instruments: Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter, -80°C deep freezer, -40°C deep freezer, -20°C deep freezer, Thermostatic orbital shaker, Multimode reader, Elisa washer. 13

CRL III has the following instruments: Biosafety cabinet, Inverted Microscope, Microcentrifuge, CO2 incubator, Autoclave, Automated cell counter. Technical Staff has been appointed on contractual basis to help with the experimental work of the researcher using this facility. They include two Research Scientists, two Lab Technicians and one Lab Assistant. d) Evidence of Success Increasing numbers of the faculty members have successfully procured extramural research grants from various funding agencies and are making optimum use of the instruments. There has been a steady and considerable increase in research grants and publications over the past few years.

Research Cell

The research cell of UCMS was constituted to facilitate research amongst faculty members and students. The Research cell is chaired by Prof Kiran Mishra.

Three committees associated with the research cell are Research Project Advisory Committee (RPAC), Institutional Ethical Committee-Human Research (IEC-HR), and Institutional Ethical Committee-Animal Research (IEC-AR).

Functions

The research cells deals with

• Managing intramural and extramural research grants • Helping the researcher in procuring instruments, chemicals and other miscellaneous items needed for research activity. • Organizing and facilitating meetings of the three associated committees.

Research Project Advisory Committee

Prof B D Banerjee (Chairman)

Function:

Examine all project proposals submitted by the faculty members as per guidelines framed and approved by the governing body

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Institutional Ethics Committee-Human Research

Prof Meena Gupta (Chairperson)

Dr. Ashish Goel (Member Secretary)

Function:

To ensure that all research done on human subjects strictly adhere to ethical guidelines.

Institutional Ethics Committee-Animal Research

Prof S K Bhattacharya (Chairperson)

Function:

To ensure that all research done on animals in the institute strictly follows the ethical guidelines laid down by CPCEA

Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MRU)

A centralized Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MRU) was established with funding from Ministry of Health And Family welfare under the scheme of “Development of Infrastructure for Promotion of Health Research” as per letter no V.25011/570(i)/2010- HR (annexure).

Grants received Rs 6.25 Crores

Three Central Research Laboratories (CRL) were established under the Scheme

CRL I CRL II CRL III

Instruments Instruments Animal Cell Culture facility

1. HPLC 1. Fluorescence Activated 2. Gene Sequencer Cell Sorter 3. Real time PCR 2. -80°C deep freezer Instruments 4. Gradient PCR 3. -40°C deep freezer 5. Flash Chromatography 1. Biosafety cabinet 4. -20°C deep freezer 6. Gel Documentation 5. Thermostatic orbital 2. Inverted Microscope system shaker 3. Microcentrifuge 7. Water purification 6. Multimode reader 4. CO2 incubator system 7. Elisa washer 5. Autoclave 15 8. Nanodrop 6. Automated cell counter

Equipments in the process of procurement

1. Gas Chromatography-Mass spectrometry 2. Double beam spectrophotometer 3. Binocular microscope 4. Fluorescent microscope 5. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer 6. Western blotting system

7.3 Best Practices

7.3.1 Give details of any two best practices that have contributed to better academic and administrative functioning of the institution.

1. Title of the First Practice –Medical Education Unit (MEU) at UCMS

(a) Objective of the practice:

To work towards faculty development, research in medical education, development of a resource center, continuing medical education, policy development, developing systems of assessment, developing communication links, and developing and implementing instructional design.

(b) Context:

The Medical Council of India, by the MCI Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997, made it mandatory for all medical colleges to establish Medical Education Units (MEUs) or departments in order to enable faculty members to avail modern education technology for teaching. Towards this end UCMS established its Medical Education Unit, which has been working with zeal and commitment towards the stated goals. Over a period of time, the MEU at UCMS

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has taken up challenging issues that go beyond the mandate by MCI, to strive for excellence at the institution in spheres other than academics too.

(c) Practice

The institution has developed a vibrant and active Medical Education Unit over the years of its existence. Several faculty members of the institution are directly involved in the daily activities of the MEU and many more support wholeheartedly the various activities organized by the MEU from time to time. The Medical Education Unit organizes several workshops aimed at improving the teaching - learning skills at undergraduate, postgraduate and senior resident level as well as for faculty development. As one of its unique practice, training courses on educational principles have been organized for senior resident doctors, many of whom represent future faculty members, medical practitioners and researchers. One of the prime objectives of the MEU is to promote research in Medical Education. The MEU holds regular thesis protocol writing workshops for the first year MD/MD/MDS students and thesis writing workshops for the final year students. Another unique initiative under the aegis of the MEU is a multidisciplinary teaching learning module on injury prevention and control for undergraduate students of the college, that is being regularly held annually for the benefit of each new batch. The Student Mentoring Program is also run by the MEU and provides holistic support to the new entrants in the medical college.

The Enabling Unit and the Equal Opportunity Cell that involve active support and participation from the MEU, show its commitment towards the best practice of providing equal access to education and equal opportunities for students with disabilities. The Medical The Medical Humanities Group formed by the MEU represents another innovative practice by the MEU UCMS. Various activities include 'Confluence' (lecture series), Street Theater by students of 17

UCMS, SPIC-MACAY activities, poetry recitation, Theater of the Oppressed Workshop and Infinite ability (disability sub-group).

(d) Evidence of Success

The MEU has been diligently and regularly holding all its activities towards the achievement of its stated objectives. Information about all the activities, events, workshops being held by the MEU UCMS is made available on its own website www.medicaleducationunit.yolasite.com. The website is regularly updated with information about upcoming events and in several cases support material is made available for the beneficiaries after a program is over, e.g. for thesis writing workshops. The MEU has had the pleasure of launching its flagship journal Research and Humanities in Medical Education (RHiME) which represents an effort towards ensuring development in the field of medical education and medical humanities not just in the institution but beyond it too.

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Total Number of Publication in Indexed Journals 2008-2012

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

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MEDICAL EDUCATION UNIT, UCMS & GTBH. Status report: 2014 EVENT LEAD DATE(S) INVITED EXPERT(S) / PARTICIPANTS / STRATEGIST FACULTY DELEGATES 1. Thesis Writing Workshop for Dr Navjeevan 10-11 Mar 2014 16 UCMS faculty 35 Ist year PG students PGs Singh batch 2012-13 2. 11-12 Mar 2014 16 UCMS faculty 35 Ist year PG students batch 2012-13 3. 12-13 Mar 2014 16 UCMS faculty 35 Ist year PG students batch 2012-13 4. 13-14 Mar 2014 16 UCMS faculty 35 Ist year PG students batch 2012-13 5. Launch of open access peer- Dr. Upreet 1 April, 2014 International panel International reviewed journal RHiME Dhaliwal (see www.rhime.in) (Research and Humanities in Medical Education) 6. Launch of book: Dr Piyush Gupta April 2014 _ _ How to Write the Thesis and and Dr Thesis Protocol: A Primer for Navjeevan Medical, Dental and Nursing Singh - Eds Courses 7. Workshop: Mental Toughness Dr Satendra 16 April, 2014 Ms Mary Keightley, founding For Nurses and Residents and Psychological Resilience Singh director of Mind Associates ltd. 8. Outreach program: Thesis Prof Piyush 22, 23 April, 2 Faculty from UCMS DNB Trainees Writing Workshop for NBE, Gupta 2014 IQ City Medical College, Durgapur MEDICAL EDUCATION UNIT, UCMS & GTBH. Status report: 2014 EVENT LEAD DATE(S) INVITED EXPERT(S) / PARTICIPANTS / STRATEGIST FACULTY DELEGATES 9. WHO multidisciplinary Dr BK Jain 3 – 15 April UCMS faculty VIth semester students of module on PCI 2014 UCMS 10. Outreach program: Dr Satendra 22-24 July, The Medical Humanities Group Students and faculty Workshop: The What, Why Singh 2014 of the MEU, UCMS & The of PSG Institute of and How of Medical Centre for Community Dialogue Medical Sciences and Humanities and Change, Bangalore Research, Coimbatore

11. Outreach program: Thesis Dr Piyush Gupta 4 & 5 August, Four faculty from UCMS At MM Institute of Writing Workshop for Faculty 2014 Medical Sciences, Ambala 12. Protocol writing workshop Dr. Amir 5-6 August, 16 Faculty from UCMS 35 first year Maroof Khan 2014 postgraduates of UCMS 13. 6-7 August, 16 Faculty from UCMS 35 first year 2014 postgraduates of UCMS 14. 11-12 August, 16 Faculty from UCMS 35 first year 2014 postgraduates of UCMS 15. 12-13 August, 16 Faculty from UCMS 35 first year 2014 postgraduates of UCMS 16. Preconference Workshop: National 25 September, Dr Anshu, Dr Chetna Desai & Dr 30 participants from How to get your research Conference on 2014 Satendra Singh NCHPE 2014 papers published Health Professions Education 2014 THESIS WRITING WORKSHOP For II yr PG students, 2nd to 5th March, 2015 (Mon -Thur) VENUE: Conference Hall. Library Block, ground floor Batch A: 2nd Mar, Batch B: 3rd Mar, Batch C: 4th Mar, Batch D: 5th Mar SESSION TITLE Date RESOURCE PERSONS Duration TIME 1 Writing and 2nd Dr. Sanjay Gupta 75 min 9.00 AM to Depicting 10.15AM 3rd Dr Upreet Dhaliwal Results 4th Dr. Amir Maroof Khan (Dr. Sanjay 5th Dr Naveen Sharma Gupta) 2 Data 2nd Dr. Amir Maroof Khan 75 min 10.15 AM to organisation 11.30 AM 3rd Dr Dheeraj Shah and analysis 4th Dr. Amir Maroof Khan (Dr Piyush Gupta) 5th Dr Dheeraj Shah

TEA BREAK: 11.30AM to 11.45 AM 3 Writing the 2nd 75 min 11.45 PM to Discussion Dr SV Madhu 1.00 PM 3rd Dr Naveen Sharma (Dr BK Jain/Dr 4th Dr Rehan ul Haq SV Madhu) 5th Dr Ashish Goel

LUNCH BREAK: 1.00 TO 1.30 pm 4 Writing the 2nd Dr Pooja Dewan 75 min 1.30 PM to Summary and 2.45 PM 3rd Dr Chander Grover the Conclusion 4th Dr Satendra Singh (Dr Piyush Gupta) 5th Dr Mrinalini Kotru

5 References, 2nd 20+20+35 2.45 PM to Plagiarism & Dr Upreet Dhaliwal, min 4.00 PM 3rd Language skills Dr Ashish Goel (Dr Navjeevan 4th Dr Alpana Raizada Singh) 5th PROTOCOL WRITING WORKSHOP 2013 23 to 27 September 2013 Batch A Batch B Batch C Batch D 23 Sep 2-4pm 24 Sep 2-4pm 25 Sep 2-4pm 26 Sep 2-4pm & & & & 24 Sep 9am-4pm 25 Sep 9am-4pm 26 Sep 9am-4pm 27 Sep 9am-4pm INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY PRINCIPAL 23 Sep 2013 1.30 PM All Ist year PGs to attend VENUE Conference Hall, Ground floor, Library Block DAY 1 Batch A= 23 Sep Batch B= 24 Sep Batch C= 25 Sep Batch D= 26 Sep 2-4pm in the MEU, II Floor, Library Block SESSION RESOURCE PERSONS DURATION TIME 1 Introduction and overview of the Workshop Dr. BK Jain 30 min 2.00 to 2.30 PM Dr. Navjeevan Singh 2 Electronic Search of the Literature Dr. Piyush Gupta 90 min 2.30 to 4.00 PM Dr. Dheeraj Shah Dr. Satendra Singh Dr. Rajat Thawani DAY 2 Batch A= 24 Sep Batch B= 25 Sep Batch C= 26 Sep Batch D= 27 Sep 9am-4pm in the Conference Hall, Library Block 1 Recap of last day's proceedings Rapporteur 15 min 9 to 9.15 AM 2 Finalize the Research Question, Write Aim Dr. BK Jain 60 min 9.15 to 10.15 and Objectives Dr. Mohit Joshi AM 3 Write the Methodology Dr. Dheeraj Shah 60 min 10.15 to 11.15 Dr. Shilpa Khanna Arora AM TEA: 11.15 TO 11.30 am 4 Plan the Statistical Analysis Dr. Pankaj Garg 60 min. 11.30 TO 12.30 & case record form Dr. AM Khan PM 5 Introduction, Review of Literature Dr Sanjay Gupta 45 min 12.30 to 1.15 PM Dr. SV Madhu Dr. Navjeevan Singh Dr. Naveen Sharma LUNCH: 1.15 TO 1.45 PM 6 Write Title Dr. Piyush Gupta 30 min 1.45 to 2.15 PM Dr. Navjeevan Singh 7 Write References Dr. Upreet Dhaliwal 30 min 2.15 to 2.45 PM Dr. Navjeevan Singh Dr. Pooja Dewan 8 Informed Consent & Ethical Issues Dr Satendra Singh 15 min 2.45 to 3 PM Dr. Upreet Dhaliwal 9 Convert the plan into a Protocol using a Dr. Navjeevan Singh 30 min 3 to 3.30 PM Template 10 Present the Protocol Dr. Navjeevan Singh 30 min 3.30 to 4 PM Dr. Pooja Dewan & all faculty

For details visit: www.MedicalEducationUnit.yolasite.com Medical Education Unit, UCMS & GTBH, Delhi 8​th ​Multidisciplinary T/L Module on Injury Prevention and Control for 6​th Semester (3rd April – 15​th ​April 2015)

PROGRAME Venue*: LT II

Date 12 Noon to 1.00 PM 2.00 PM to 3.00 PM 3.00 PM to 4.00 PM

4​th ​ April Saturday Program introduction: Dr. BK Jain, Dr Navjeevan Singh Epidemiology: Haddon’s Model & 6​th ​ April Violence: D​ r. MS Students’ 10 basic strategies: D​ r Monday Bhatia/Dr. Shruti Presentation; Rahul Sharma ​(CM) Srivastava (Psy) Concepts and Classification: ​Dr. Madhu Upadhyay (CM) Group Work – Day 1 7​th ​ April Tuesday Dr. Rehan­Ul­Haq (Orth) GW I­Extrication, Triage, Transport: Dr. Rachna Occupational injury, Work Wadhwa GW II­CPR Hands­on: Dr Sujata safety Choudhary & Dr. Rashmi Salotra GW III–Haddon Matrix: Dr Rahul Sharma (CM) GW IV–Classification of Injuries: Dr Amir Maroof Khan (CM) Communication & Group Work – Day 2 8th April counseling; Role play GW I­Extrication, Triage, Transport: Dr. Rachna Wednesday Dr MS Bhatia & Dr. Shruti Wadhwa GW II­CPR Hands­on: Dr Sujata Srivastava (Psy) Choudhary& Dr. Rashmi Salotra GW III–Haddon Matrix: Dr Rahul Sharma (CM) GW IV–Classification of Injuries: Dr Amir Maroof Khan (CM) 9t h April Fall­related injuries, burn Group Work – Day 3 Thursday injury, Four group works in 4 batches – Day 1 Mass trauma and disaster: GW I­Extrication, Triage, &Transport: Dr. Dr. Naveen Sharma (S) Naveen Sharma GW II­CPR Hands­on: Dr. Sujata Choudhary & Dr. Priyanka GW III–Haddon Matrix: Dr Somdatta (CM) GW IV–Classification of Injuries: Dr Madhu Upadhyay (CM 10​th ​ April Friday Road traffic injuries: D​ r. Group Work – Day 4 Ashesh (S) GW I­Extrication, Triage, Transport Dr. Rachna Wadhwa GW II­CPR Hands­on: Dr Sujata Choudhary & Dr. Rashmi Salotra Medical Education Unit, UCMS & GTBH, Delhi 8​th ​Multidisciplinary T/L Module on Injury Prevention and Control for 6​th Semester (3rd April – 15​th ​April 2015)

GW III–Haddon Matrix: Dr Rahul Sharma (CM) GW IV–Classification of Injuries: Dr Madhu Upadhyay(CM)

11​th ​ April Informatics; Safety Saturday promotion audit, & Population­based program: D​ r. Amir Maroof Khan (CM) Advocacy skills ­ Role play Student Seminar I 13 th April by students Prevention and control of injury in the home Monday Moderator : D​ r. Satendra environment Singh (Phy) Dr. Navjeevan Singh, Dr. Naveen Sharma, Dr. Participants Upreet Dhaliwal, Dr. Rehan­ul­Haq, Dr. Satendra Singh 14​th ​April Tuesday Panel discussion: Prevention and control of injuries in Student Seminar II old age Prevention and control Dr. Navjeevan Singh, Dr. Naveen Sharma, Dr. of injury In the hospital Upreet Dhaliwal, Dr. Rehan­ul­Haq, Dr. Satendra environment Singh Dr. Navjeevan Singh, Dr. Naveen Sharma, Dr. Upreet Dhaliwal, Dr. Rehan­ul­Haq, Dr. Satendra Singh Ocular injuries: D​ r. Upreet 15​th ​April Dhaliwal(Oph) Wednesday Drowning: ​Dr. Dheeraj Shah(P)

Attendance of students will be recorded with respective department: (An) Anesthesia, (CM) Community Medicine, (Oph) Ophthalmology, (Orth) Orthopedics, (M) Medicine, (P) Pediatrics, (Psy) Psychiatry, (S) Surgery,

Dr. Navjeevan Singh Dr. BK Jain Professor of Pathology & Module Coordinator & Head, Coordinator, MEU M.S. & Professor, Department of Surgery UCMS & GTBH, Delhi UCMS & GTBH, Delhi

Medical Education Unit, UCMS & GTBH, Delhi 8​th ​Multidisciplinary T/L Module on Injury Prevention and Control for 6​th Semester (3rd April – 15​th ​April 2015)

1

Enabling Unit, UCMS ACE (Access, Communication, Education) action report (June 2011-May 2012)

OBJECTIVES ACTION PLAN STATUS ACCESS Breaking barriers Needs assessment On target (Audit survey sent to Persons with Disabilities [PwD]) Accessible teaching Leniency towards students on On target room arriving late because of physical (Notice issued) disability & inaccessibility Accessible parking Accessible parking Behind schedule (Separate parking allowed but place not ear marked) Accessible library To explore the possibility of Major challenge making library (1st floor), reading (UGC HEPSN proposal sent to room(2nd floor) and Medical Principal, UCMS) Education Unit (2nd floor) (SIDPA proposal sent to Secy. accessible to PwD MSJE) Accessible post office To explore the possibility of In process making post office (1st floor) (Letters sent to Postmaster, MS, accessible to PwD XEN) Accessible bank To explore the possibility of In process making bank (1st floor) accessible (Letters sent to Branch Manager, to PwD MS, XEN)

COMMUNICATION 2

Disability statistics Maintenance of PwD case histories Complete Website with important circulars, Ahead of schedule UGC guidelines & announcement (http://enablingunit.yolasite.com) Collaboration with EOC, DU On target (In touch with DU EOC) Creating Providing information’s from On target Opportunities various disability listserve’s & (Student selected for SYRACUSE associations Conference) (Student participation in PARWAZ) Latest updates on website On target (Infinite Ability website applauded in Times of India) A special-interest-group on Ahead of schedule disability-Infinite Ability, created (http://infiniteability.yolasite.com) under ‘Medical Humanities Group’ (Initiative published in medical journal) Disability studies Module on ‘Disability Studies in On target Medical Education’ prepared for (Sent to Nodal Officer, 12th FYP, XIIth five year plan UCMS) Coordinator Wrote chapter entitled, “disability-A Doctor’s On target initiatives perspective” written in the book “Hiring PWD’s- Understanding them and making enabling environment” published by PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry, New Delhi Presented abstract on ‘Understanding Disability & On target Creating Accessible Campus’ at Roundtable Conference on "Disability, Barrier- Free Campus and Higher Education" held at HURITER/SIS, JNU Paper on ‘Broadening horizons: Looking beyond On target disability’ published in ‘Medical Education’ journal Paper on ‘Disability studies in medical education’ On target accepted in International Journal of Use-Driven Health Care Organized first ever ‘Theatre of the Ahead of schedule Oppressed’ workshop for medical students in India EDUCATION Awareness Maintenance of case histories On target Sensitization On target (Confluence-VI lecture on ‘Broadening horizons:Looking beyond disability) Awareness program for faculty Further needs to be persued (Funding for workshop) (Disability etiquettes handbook on 3

websites) Functional websites Ahead of schedule Important observances Ahead of schedule (Separate webpages created for important days on Down syndrome, Autism, Hemophilia, Polio, Blindness, Mental health, thalassemia & International Day for PwD) Equal Opportunities Equality and Diversity Committee Complete (All members are PwD & includes students, faculty & non- teaching staff) Special call for students with On target disability to attend workshops (Theatre of the Oppressed workshop invite to DU) Biomedical retrieval of information Behind schedule on PubMed workshop (To be done with MEU for Delhi’s medical colleges) Research methodology workshop No update (awaiting funding) Facilitation of Orientation program (in-house as On target admission well as run by DU) Counseling Professional counselor for part-time Ahead of schedule counseling (Ms Abha Khetarpal providing voluntary counseiling) Coordinator himself providing On target voluntary counseling for Amar Ujala Hindi daily Mentoring Mentoring program On target (Faculty supervised near peer mentoring with MEU)

Dr Satendra Singh, E-mail: [email protected], phone 99717 82076 THE UCMS NEWS LETTER VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1 January 2013

From Principal’s Desk Fulbright-Nehru Senior Research Scholar from University of Illinois, Chicago gives lessons in GIS at UCMS It is a pleasure to present you the next issue of the 'UCMS Newsletter'. As always, the College has I worked recently for four months in India as a Fulbright- been on the forefront in various academics, Nehru Senior Research Scholar affiliated with the research and extracurricular activities. During the University College of Medical Sciences Department of Community Medicine in Delhi. The goals of the United last 6 months, several faculty members were States Fulbright Program are to increase international awarded research grants by various funding collaborations and improve understanding among agencies with greater involvement of faculty from scientists about the culture and conditions of other various clinical departments. The College nations. India is a strong partner in this program. This organized inaugural meeting of the Program was my first visit to India, and I was honored to be a part of the academic community at UCMS, where I worked with Dr. Arun Sharma. Advisory Committee in Health Sciences under the My educational background is in Geographic Information Science and I newly constituted Science and Engineering focus specifically on spatial epidemiology, which looks at how geographic Research Board, Department of Science and location is important for health. Technology, Govt. of India. On this occasion, the In terms of work, Dr. Sharma and I proposed to “add” geographic location to a Chairman of PAC, Prof. V.I. Mathan, former set of household survey data collected by Vikram K. for his thesis research Director, CMC, Vellore interacted with the faculty titled Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) Scheme in Trans-Yamuna Area of and resident doctors and discussed about various Delhi”. Dr. Vikram had interviewed women from six slum or resettlement areas in East Delhi who had given birth in the past year to evaluate the challenges being faced by the medical community effectiveness of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) in these areas in pursuit of health research. Our annual under the JSY scheme. With a list of respondents’ addresses and Vikram marathon academic event, EORCAPS witnessed K’s memory our group found each of the households where he had 1 huge response from participants all over the interviewed people last year and then used a Global Positioning System country and had to be organized in a bigger venue. (GPS) handheld receiver to record the geographic coordinates. The students involved were quickly proficient at using the GPS. Later, I helped The Medical Education Unit has been organizing them to use a Geographic Information System (GIS) to link the survey guest lectures and conducting thesis protocol responses to locations and we could learn in which areas was the program writing workshops in the College as well as in more successful. Later, I trained them in using spatial analysis software to neighboring states. The Telemedicine Unit statistically relate geographic locations of households with the utilization of organized teaching learning activities with PGI, JSY services. Chandigarh and SGPGI, Lucknow. Recently, the Other health issues came to my attention in India. Low air quality is a first batch of students successfully completed growing problem that I experienced first hand when dust storms combined Masters Course in Medical Imaging Technology. with other pollution to make March 2012 a very bad month for breathing in Delhi. Better monitoring of particulate matter, using data from satellites The College students wholeheartedly participated combined with ground measures and maps of traffic and important industries in the Annual Sports and Cultural extravaganza can help to make the case to improve pollution standards and provide and our cultural team organized various street support to those with asthma and other conditions. During a visit to the plays on contemporary themes. Towards the year University of Jayewardenepura in Sri Lanka, I was involved in a project related to the mapping of dengue cases in Columbo. Knowing the location of end, the UCMS Alumni Association organized a cases from different serovars can help to uncover the reasons behind the re- grand event for the College Alumni which was emergence of this vector-borne illness. attended by large number of UCIITES from all over I came back from India with a much greater appreciation for the differences in the world. On this occasion, the Alumni from 1973, daily life between my University in Illinois, where I live in a town with about 1977 and 1987 and their families were also 150,000 people. At home, a quiet 15-minute bike ride gets me to my office. I felicitated. The College continues to be a traveled to the UCMS by Metro and by bus or rickshaw, passing more people fountainhead of inspiration for its medical in those 40 minutes that I pass in a week in Illinois. I especially enjoyed the students, teachers and alumni.ar beauty of Himachal Pradesh and the natural openness of people I met. I hope that I will have an opportunity to return to India soon.

O.P. Kalra Marilyn O’Hara POINT COUNTERPOINT (good roads, infrastructure, electricity, sanitation, schools for the children of doctors), and offering better salaries to doctors in rural areas, may Should doctors be the only automatically attract doctors to rural areas. Rather than posting medical professionals required to fulfill a graduates to rural areas, it might be more viable to appoint senior medical mandatory rural posting? professionals to these areas when they retire from government service. They may be given a considerably enhanced salary for rural postings. “Longer course proposal for MBBS - Mandatory 3 People will get a better health deal, and have more confidence in a senior month rural internship to be increased.” (The doctor than in a newly graduated one. Telegraph, New Delhi, May 20, 2012) It is widely claimed that the GOI spends 31 lakh rupees to make an MBBS The Medical Council of India, in consultation with doctor. This claim is entirely debatable, keeping in mind that the faculty the Union Health Ministry, is examining a proposal teaching medical graduates is also looking after huge patient populations, to add several months to the current three month for free, and the graduates themselves work for one year as compulsory rural training for medical students. The reason being interns for which they are paid a pittance. However, this leads us to further touted is that there is a shortage of human basic question that how much is the government’s spend on other resources in health, especially in rural and tribal professionals like managers, engineers or lawyers; and how does it plan to areas, where the population is vulnerable. In the recover these costs? These professional institutes being run by the past, the Government tried to attract doctors to rural government do only teaching (if at all some research) but no community areas by announcing reservation in postgraduate service (at least not on a day-to-day basis). The official proposal to impose admissions for MBBS doctors who opted for rural an exit tax on graduates from these government run institutions applies to postings after graduation; and advocating 10 extra graduates who plan to leave Indian shores for greener pastures abroad. That marks in postgraduate admissions for MBBS is to say, if they stay within India (most likely, in an urban area only) and serve students with one year of rural service; those who the Indian population (probably charge hefty fees or earn astronomical served three years in backward areas were to get 30 salaries), they are not obliged to fulfill their moral obligations towards rural marks. However, despite the incentives, there were India! no takers for the scheme. India is a poor country and tax payer’s money needs to be well utilized. The The advantages of increasing the mandatory rural rural, tribal and backward areas are grossly lacking and being Indian posting are that aspiring doctors will have an 2 citizens, we all must share the responsibility of contributing to inclusive opportunity to learn about common diseases growth in society. However, posting only doctors to improve the health care affecting the majority of the population of India. They scenario is meaningless in the absence of an overall development of would get ample opportunities to hone their skills. infrastructure in these areas (including roads, electricity, power generation, An exposure to rural lifestyles and encounter with fund management etc). Is it that rural India is lacking only with respect to unique medical cases will make them better health care facilities and all the other basic minimum requirements of living doctors. In the process, medical services will reach have already been provided for? We require engineers to build roads and the poorest and most backward areas of India, other infrastructure, enhance irrigation facilities, provide electricity or build a leading to greater development opportunities. The fully functional PHC and fresh engineering graduates could do a compulsory country will be able to draw closer to its declared internship posting for that. We require good managers to implement the lofty objective of providing universal health care. development plans, including those for health care and for this fresh However, if we look at the flip side, the duration of management graduates could do a district or sub-district level training during the under-graduate medical course is already much MBA. Expert legal advice is needed by our rural brethren to ensure their longer than any other professional course in India. basic human rights and fresh law graduates could do a good job at that. On top of it, the whole cycle starts again with Would posting the MBBS students in the rural areas help improve the health preparation for post-graduate entrance of our rural community and achieve the goals of NRHM? Or is it just another examinations. Adding any more duration to this ploy to remove the focus from the government’s own failure to enhance the arduous course is untenable. Also, fresh medical per capita expenditure on health care or to ensure free of cost, quality health graduates are not sufficiently skilled to practice care to those most in need? without supervision; the ethics of posting those to rural centers needs re-examination. The rural and Friends, through this issue of COSMOS, we wish to seek your opinion on tribal population should not be reduced to guinea selective policy of enhancing rural posting of doctors and not any other pigs at the hands of raw medical professionals. professional. We would request you to spare some time and respond to the questionnaire for the same at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9PGX5K8 It is commonly commented that, rather than forcing This would help in understanding and disseminating the views of the medical medical graduates into rural services, the community through this forum. Government should make rural health settings more Chander Grover attractive for doctors. Improving civic amenities Upreet Dhaliwal

Formal mentoring of fresh entrants has helped undergraduates adjust in this institution (Figure 3). Also, 54% to Medicine-Required or not? (n=120) respondents perceived that getting a formally assigned mentor upon entry into college life would have been or has been a definite help in The University College of Medical Sciences, a their studies. premier medical Institution affiliated to the University of Delhi, is a pioneer in having started formal mentoring, in 2009, for 1st year MBBS Disagree 44 students. The program was initiated to further the personal and professional development of these Not Sure 62 students and to make them “feel at home” in their initial rough transition to a professional setup. Over Agree 116 the years, the program has seen active participation by students (juniors and seniors) as well as the 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 faculty. Figure 2: Official assignment of a formal senior mentor to a first year student There have been occasional success stories can be an effective strategy attributable to the program where individuals were relieved of acute stressful situations by adequate counseling and help by their mentors. In order to Disagree 44 assess the general, popular opinion about the program in our institution, we conducted the present Not Sure 62 survey; most of the 222 respondents were students (n=201; 90.9%). Respondents were associated with Agree 116 the mentoring program mostly in the capacity of mentees (n=114; 51.3%); 29 (13.1%) were mentors; 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 26 (11.7%) had witnessed both sides of the story. Figure 3: Formal mentoring in its present format has helped undergraduates Fifty-three respondents (23.9%) were not adjust in this institution associated with the program in any capacity. A formal mentoring assignment can forge lifelong bonds. This fact was Respondents’ opinions were taken on a three point endorsed by 54% participants. However, at the same time, 60.3% 3 Likert-type scale (agree, not sure or disagree). participants felt that informal mentoring relationships, developing over a Need for formal mentoring period of time, tend to be stronger and more fruitful as compared to formal Almost 85% of the respondents (n=189) agreed mentoring relationships. The reasons for this can be manifold. A formal that, in the medical profession, mentoring of a junior mentoring relationship tends to develop over a period of time and both the by a senior (in any format) is helpful. It was also felt mentor and mentee have the freedom of choice; hence, they are more by the majority that “formal mentoring” of new committed to the relationship. They are generally working in the same or entrants to MBBS makes them feel more confident related fields; hence, their scope of interaction is also much greater. or supported upon joining the college (figure-1).

Disagree 66 Disagree 33 Not sure 77 Not Sure 44 Agree 77 Column1

Agree 141 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 Figure 4: Students who have been mentored from first year onwards tend to Figure 1: New entrants to MBBS feel more confident perform better in studies/research or supported when they join an institution which Advantages of mentoring offers formal mentoring vis-a-vis an institution which offers none. While a few respondents (n=86; 38.7%) felt that students, who have been formally mentored, tend to “smarten up” early, the house was divided on the Acceptability of formal mentoring issue of whether mentored students tend to perform better in studies or in The acceptability was quite high among the research activities (Figure 4). Nevertheless, formal mentoring was respondents; 136 (61.2%) felt that official perceived to be helpful in providing an overall healthy development and a assignment of a formal senior mentor to a first year career boost by 48.1% respondents (n=107). It was also strongly felt that student can be an effective strategy (figure-2). mentoring helps pass on professionalism, ethics and life skills to the Overall, 52.2% respondents (n=116) were of the students (Figure 5), enabling them to stand in good stead as far as their opinion that formal mentoring in its present format future professional life is concerned. Disagree 48 Principal gets Delhi State Award for doctors Not sure 49 Prof. O P Kalra, Principal, UCMS was honored by Govt. of NCT of Delhi with Agree 125 state award for doctors for his outstanding contribution to medical education 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 and health care services in Delhi. On this occasion, 21 doctors and 47 Figure 5: Mentoring by teachers helps pass on paramedical workers were honored. The doctors were given a citation and a professionalism, ethics and life skills to their students. cash award of Rs. 50,000/- and the paramedical personnel were given a Although, mentoring was seen to be an overall citation and Rs. 20,000/-. important value addition to a student’s life and career, the respondents seemed unsure how good it is for the Institution’s image. Students were divided over whether the availability of mentoring could be an important factor in their decision to opt for a particular institution (36% agreed; 38% disagreed). Only 31.9% (n=71) felt that formal mentoring has boosted the image of our institution. Disadvantages of mentoring We asked the respondents about the potential side effects associated with this type of an exercise. It has been perceived that handing out support to students as soon as they enter a new environment may turn out to be a ‘spoon feeding’ exercise. The students may never be able to grow out of their “school mentality”. However, an overwhelming majority, 59.9% of our participants disagreed with Dr. O.P. Kalra receiving award from this perception (Figure 6). Only a minority (29.2%) The Hon’ble Chief Minister Mrs. Shiela Dikshit believed that mentees may take mentors for granted and draw undue advantages. On the issue of Leadership and managerial skills for medical mentor sensitivity with respect to what the mentee students 4 may be going through, the house was clearly divided with one third of the respondents either Public health services in India are managed by healthcare professionals. agreeing, disagreeing or unsure about it. Similar Medical students are being trained for a primary care role and after divided opinion emerged on the perception that graduation are expected to carry out the leadership and managerial duties at formal mentoring can bias mentee’s perception, or the primary health centres. However, there is hardly any training in the his learning, very early in his career (73 respondents disagreed; 71 agreed). Forty-six percent exiting curriculum to acquaint them with these concepts. It is commonly respondents felt that currently, mentors are not assumed that a health degree means that one can be a manager and a giving enough to foster formal mentoring, and leader as well. As a result, new graduates who have no training in managerial 59.4% felt that formally appointed mentors do not and leadership skills or experience are given a wide range of management allot enough time to their mentees. On the other and supervisory responsibilities. However their lack of preparation in hand, 48.1% respondents felt that it is the mentees planning, organizing, delegating, motivating and teamwork begins to who are holding back from formal mentoring; frustrate them and thus undermine the quality of patient care and service. according to 49.2%, it is the mentees who lack time The lack of managerial capacity at all levels of the health system is cited as a and effort to invest in the relationship. binding constraint to scaling up services and achieving the global development Goals in healthcare services. Disagree 133

Not sure 56 Furthermore, healthcare scenario has changed drastically in the last decade

Agree 33 or so. Stronger economy and rising incomes have led to a rise in patient

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 expectations, reflecting societal changes in attitude towards provision of goods and services. Cost of healthcare has also gone up due to increasing Figure 6: Mentoring is not 'grooming'; it is 'spoon feeding'. use of expensive technology. All these have increased the complexity of healthcare services at secondary and tertiary level. To be able to deliver On being questioned about an ideal format for a quality services in this scenario, a reasonable level of healthcare formal mentoring program, 64.4% respondents felt management skills are required on the part of the doctors. In response to that a formal training program for proposed mentors should be a must. Also, 83.7% respondents felt that these changing demands and priorities in healthcare delivery to the society, mentees should also have the choice to decide it is imperative that suitable revisions are made in the medical education so whether or not they want formal mentoring; they as to allow students to acquire skills they need to succeed not only as should have the liberty to choose their mentors. clinicians but also as leaders and managers. Chander Grover Navneet Kaur A Place by any Other Name wouldn’t Nukkad Ka Neela Kurta Smell as Sweet: Oh Delhi! A very few medical colleges can boast the possession of cultural teams and by being a part of them during the first 2 years of my medical career, I was one of the few medical students lucky enough to enjoy this legacy. The memoir, “Nukkad ka neela kurta” is about my time devoted to Manchayan, the dramatics society of UCMS, in my 2nd year. Street play served as my only way to relive whatever I used to perceive while living in Delhi and it is only through this medium that you can shout in anger and simultaneously deliver a useful message to the spectator. Our small team might not have made a giant leap for mankind, but it was surely a big step for us. With Manchayan we all may have never have earned any possessions, but we had achieved..!! something which can never be earned otherwise. Despite many trials and tribulations, we came far and were successful in carrying the legacy forward .With Manchayan it was never the end but the journey that makes it more than anatomy and pathology. Even today, when I listen to some weird Hindi song, I start making CLUES ACROSS its parody and conjure up a scene which could fit in our street play. Maybe 3 Fiery tragedy site (6) that’s something Manchayan has gifted us all…the ability to observe, the 6 Rehydration for Delhi summers (3) ability to dream and the ability to carry your ideas forward even when faced 8 Divine tribute on the riverbed (10) with opposition and demeaning pains. 11 Ghantewala Halwai’s Chowk (7) Aheed Khan 12 Delhi Delhi Delhi (4) 14 The hills that bound us (8) APOKALYPTO : Report Apocalypto is the literary society of UCMS, now continuing promisingly into CLUES DOWN its 2nd year. Progressing upon its aim to promote literary talent in the college, 1 Floral temple (5) it organized an inter- college debate on the topic –“Students should evaluate 2 This garden near UCMS is all heart (7) their teachers” on 18th April 2012. LHMC bagged the first prize and UCMS, 5 3 Saravana Bhavan’s yummy fare (4) second. 4 The river flows east of Delhi(6) A film entertainment quiz was also conducted in September 2012. 5 Kashmiri poet, Hindu College alumnus (4) T h e m e m b e r s o f t h e s o c i e t y c a n b e c o n t a c t e d o n 7 He built the Walled City (9) [email protected] and for more information, visit 9 Lifeline of Delhi (5) www.apokalyptoyolasite.com 10 Colloquial name of the Capital city (5) 13 Animal queen of Delhi’s roads (3) Abhinav Aggarwal (Contributed by Rajat Thawani and Upreet Dhaliwal) RIPPLE 2012 : Erit et ultimus Ripple, the annual festival of UCMS, an escape from the monotony of routine makes it a highly anticipated event in the students’ calendar. The student’s union of UCMS laboured hard to make the event a memorable one. The theme reflected the witty use of the 2012 apocalyptic prediction and the new look website along with an exclusive teaser video were innovatively used for promoting the event among other things. The Lit Café, the literary part of Ripple, kicked off with a 2 day medical conference organized by students for Doctors, a pioneering effort in UCMS on “The newer advances in maternal and child health care and diabetes.” Various events like Ad-Mad, Medical quiz, Entertainment quiz, Sports quiz, English and Medical debate had enthusiastic participation from various colleges. The cultural segment was as good as ever. ’Svaang,’ the street play competition organized by Manchayan was the major crowd puller with some jaw dropping performances. ’Wave’ The western dance event by Renaissance had everyone tapping their feet and clapping their hands for some mesmerizing performances. The sports segment: Arena also included a UCMS Marathon along with the conventional sports like basketball, football, volleyball, badminton, cricket and indoor games like pool, chess, table-tennis. All saw widespread participation by teams from various colleges across Delhi. The fresh attractions Rishikesh: Stairway to Heaven included the solo, duet and group singing competition organized by Plexus: the music society If Haridwar is known to be the doorway, then Rishikesh is the stairway to of UCMS. heaven for someone seeking spiritual solace and internal peace. Located 25 km ahead of Haridwar which happens to be the last location connected by However, as has been our tradition, the biggest Indian Railways, Rishikesh can be reached by taxi or autos which ply from crowd puller was the Star Nite. The central ground was overflowing with the enthusiasts of Honey 4am till late night from Haridwar. It is also the best getaway for Delhiites who Singh and Mafia Mundeer. They rocked the stage normally storm one of God’s domiciles whenever they feel the heat of the with their adrenaline charged performance, which NCR. Barely 225 Kms from Delhi, it’s one of the favourite weekend getaways though short was nonetheless exhilarating. The for adventure sports like trekking, rafting, kayaking, camping etc. These grand finale of Ripple was the Teachers’ Carnival, sports seem to be God’s way of luring His children towards the holy the true apocalypse when the teachers sing, dance, Himalayan expanse that harbours a spiritual enigma which most fail to act, crack jokes and everybody becomes a part of understand. However, besides sports, hordes of devotees storm this holy the fun and frolic. The disbelieving students roar and place especially during every major Hindu festival. clap and cheer without inhibitions making it a fitting Once reached, one can stay in any of the hotels or guesthouses which range end to the journey that is Ripple! from Rs 250 to 2500 a day. It’s best to book your stay using any of the tourism Abhinav Aggarwal websites. The best time of the year to visit Rishikesh is from February to July end. After July all sports are closed as water level of the Holy Ganga rises to World Iodine Deficiency Disorder dangerous levels. These sports re-commence from November onwards, but Day celebrated at GTB Hospital icy cold waters of the Ganges separates true adventure enthusiasts from regular wannabes. The May to July sun is very harsh, so a sunscreen with a The World Iodine Deficiency Disorder Day was good spf is highly recommended. celebrated at UCMS & GTB Hospital on 22nd October 2012 Prof. S V Madhu, Professor & Head Among sports, rafting is the favourite of all but children under 5 are not of the Department of Medicine, who is also the allowed. Normally four levels are defined on the basis of distance covered State Programme Officer of the IDD Control and number of rapids in the Ganges. Brahmpuri being the shortest distance Program, Goverment of NCT of Delhi, organized a (9km) followed by Shivpuri (16km), Marine drive (25km) and The Wall (35 6 training workshop for the district coordinators and km) which is the most dangerous and reserved for army and navy personnel paramedical staff responsible for implementing the only. The water is very cold especially when it is released from the Tehri dam program. so heart patients and asthmatics are also barred from this sport as your heart Prof. Raj Pal, Medical Superintendent, GTB literally jumps out of your mouth when you first encounter the rapid and ice Hospital inaugurated the workshop and Dr. Arun chilled water. Kayaking being an individual sport requires rigorous one Sharma, Professor in Community Medicine month training before one is allowed for it. presented an overview of the program. This was One can go for trekking or camping also. Once across the Laxman Jhoola followed by an interactive session between the (which is the main bridge connecting the two sides of the Ganges), we see Participants and Dr S.V Madhu and his team on the main temples where constant chanting of sacred hymns can be heard at various aspects of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, any time of the day, but the Aarti at 6:30 pm is the one to watch out for. The implementation of NIDDCP in Delhi, and demonstration of field testing for salt iodine most recommended place to eat is the Chotiwala restaurant which is the estimation. The work shop was attended by 6 major attraction of the town (which I avoided due to rumours of unhygienic doctors and 32 paramedical workers. food being served recently). Opposite direction from the main temples is the road which leads to Neelkanth temple, which is one of the 12 major Shiva Arun Sharma dhaams. Enroute to Neelkanth we come across Garudchatti, where many small tributaries flow into Gangaji. Following any of these upstream through the jungle on foot, we pass through the Rajaji National Park and come across many small waterfalls whose raw scenic beauty is beyond description.

The small Himalayan town sleeps by 9 pm, so if you are a night owl, you can go down the ghats at night and feel the powerful calm of Gangaji near Laxmanjhoola and even meditate. The spiritual and adventure experience at Rishikesh is exhilarating and it’s a strong recommendation to devote at least 5 days for the visit.

Sumit Rai Caduceus, Aesculapius or Vasuki? The ocean of milk (Ksheer Sagar) was churned to settle the war between the Gods and demons, the latter having captured the universe after defeating My young friend from Delhi University on her first the Gods. For churning the ocean, mount Mandrachala was used as the visit to UCMS flummoxed me with a question, “What churning rod (which resembles the shaft of Aesculapius), and Vasuki, the does the emblem of UCMS mean? Why are there king of serpents became the churning rope. From the churning, besides two serpents?” Obviously, I had no clue at that time several precious items, emerged the white elephant Airavat, which finds a but it certainly made me search for an answer. place in the emblem; the second elephant is picked up from the emblem of What intrigued me was that in some places a single University of Delhi. Subsequently, Dhanvantari, the physician of gods serpent, while in others two serpents entwine the emerged from the churning, holding the Kalash (pot) containing the nectar of shaft and I set out to explore its genesis. The shaft immortality (amrita,) covered with a lotus flower. with two serpents, a global head, and two wings is In the UCMS emblem, the Kalash with nectar in it, covered with a lotus, sits the Caduceus; the shaft with a single serpent is the atop mount Mandrachalam. Thus, all symbols in the UCMS emblem are rod of Aesculapius. In Greek mythology, Caduceus related to medicine and mythology; the only question that remains was the staff carried by Hermes, the God of unanswered is when churning of the ocean was done with one serpent, why underworld, wealth, and commerce, who was also a does the emblem have two? Surely Caduceus and Vasuki have a debate on patron of thieves. In Roman mythology, it was hand to settle the issue. depicted in the left hand of Mercury, the messenger of the gods. According to Heinz Insu Fenkl, the Arun Sharma symbol was first used by a medical publisher in the Medical Education Unit: Update 19th century on all its publications. Subsequently, in 1902, it was adopted by the U.S. Army as the The period since the last issue of the Cosmos has been an eventful one for insignia of its Medical Corps. A section of medical the Medical Education Unit. In-house activities included the “WHO professionals are against the use of Caduceus as a multidisciplinary module on Prevention & Control of Injury” for VIth semester symbol of medicine and healing because of its students of UCMS, in April-May; “Protocol Writing Workshop for first year association with deceit, theft and darkness. post-graduate students” in August; and a Faculty Development Workshop on “How to supervise a thesis” in September. On the other side, Aesculapius was the child of Apollo (the God of Health) from an unfaithful lover Apart from in-house activities, students (Rajat Thawani, Arjun Ravishankar named Coronis. Apollo, after killng Coronis, got the and Nayan Agarwal) and faculty conducted a workshop on “Powerpoint use, child delivered by Hermes, while Coronis’ body lay communication skills and literature search” for undergraduate medical 7 on the funeral pyre. Aesculapius was trained by students from AIIMS, LHMC, VMMC & UCMS, under the banner of MEU and Chiron to become a healer who eventually became IMediSTAR; faculty visited Sougor in April to conduct a “Basic Workshop in the God of Medicine. Thus, the rod of Aesculapius Medical Education Technology” for the teachers of Bundelkhand Medical seems a more relevant symbol of healing and College; and in July faculty conducted a “Teaching Methodology Workshop” medicine than the Caduceus. The most popularly for teachers of Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, New accepted explanation of the serpent coiled around Delhi. the rod is the process of rejuvenation associated Experts in their respective fields were invited to share their expertise with with a snake’s rebirth after shedding its skin; faculty and students. Prof A Bhattacharya gave a guest lecture on becoming young again is something that medical “Simulation in medical education” in April; and Ms. Vasumathi Sriganesh science aims to achieve. The other explanation is (QMed Knowledge Foundation) conducted a workshop on “Literature the use of snake venom as a drug for various Search and Referencing” for under-graduate and post-graduate medical ailments in the past; however, the serpents and the students, library staff and faculty in November. The Blind with Camera shaft in the UCMS emblem have nothing to do with workshop was conducted for 12 visually impaired participants from Delhi Aesculapius and Caduceus, as the following University by Partho Bhowmick (Beyond Sight Foundation) in October. anecdote will reveal. Lastly, the MEU launched “COMICOS-Graphic Medicine Club”, a new In 1974, a contest was held among students to initiative of the Medical Humanities Group, spearheaded by Dr Satendra design the emblem of UCMS, for which six entries Singh, Assistant Professor of Physiology. were received. Of these, Prof. Satendra Sharma’s Upreet Dhaliwal design (he was then a final year student) was chosen by the Emblem committee of the college. According to Prof Sharma, its origin lies in Indian mythology.

UCMS emblem Caduceus Aesculapius Delhi University Participants at MEU Workshop My Journey as a medical student in Another major problem in US is insurance. Insurance companies approve many tests which the patients undergo. In a recent article that I read in a local the USA newspaper they said that “CEOs of insurance companies have more income When I went to the US for a clerkship elective in than the taxes the whole company pays”. But a good insurance ensures that Oncology, I was immediately demoted from being an the patient gets good care without worrying about payments. intern back home to being a medical student in the In all, I would say that my experience was great. Because I was with one unit US. As medical students, we had to stay in the every day of the month and there was uniformity, I got to learn much more than I hospital from 7 am to 6 pm; that makes for a really would have otherwise. Also, I got to learn a lot about the healthcare system in long day! the US. If and when I reach a stage of making significant decisions in the fields On day one of my elective, I was allotted three of medical education and hospital management, I will know which way to go! patients that I had to follow everyday till they got Rajat Thawani discharged. I had to start the day by evaluating the patient (history and physical examination). After that, EORCAPS: 375 Participants I had to go over their labs, vitals and any investigation This year also, the Department of that was ordered. This was followed by a sit-down Anaesthesiology & Critical Care, round with the attending residents, pharmacists, social worker, nursing coordinators and a whole lot of UCMS & GTB Hospital organized other people. Then there was a round to see patients EORCAPS (Examination Oriented all over the huge hospital, which was quite an Refresher Course for Anaesthesia exercise! There used to be a discussion outside every Post-graduate Students), a 9 day patient’s room that lasted 30 minutes each time. long academic extravaganza from When I had to present a patient, I had to have a plan. I 21st to 29th September 2012, under may or may not be right, but I felt that I was part of a the dynamic leadership of Prof. A K team. At moments, almost every time I was not Sethi. A Participant Receiving Certificate presenting a case, I lost patience because I was just From Principal not used to spending so much time on each patient. In EORCAPS has established itself as the most coveted teaching program for Delhi we have to see a lot of patients because of exam-going anaesthesia students from all over India. This course is unique which the time spent per patient is quite little. In the because it is specifically designed to take care of all aspects of practical US, the round went on from 9 am to 4 pm, and the examination including case presentations, drugs, ECGs, X-rays as well as a number of patients that we saw was FIFTEEN only! It one-day equipment workshop. The faculty for the program comprises of was only later during the month I realized how the experienced teachers and examiners drawn from all over India. The team focused on every aspect of patient care: 8 equipment workshop is a rare chance to see almost 300 equipments used in medical, psychological, physical, etc. and they had anaesthetic practice. The course drew an enormous response with around 375 to. I was in Oncology and the branch is not just medically challenging, it is also very emotional and students attending it, and concluded with an encouraging feedback. dramatic; not just the patient, the whole family deals Asha Tyagi with the disease. For each patient that I saw, I had to write an extensive note which was a skill difficult to DST's Program Advisory Committee in Health Sciences: master. I really enjoyed the experience I had in this UCMS hosts inaugural meeting elective and was amazed at how comfortable the patients were made to feel in the hospital. Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India has recently constituted a Program Advisory Committee in Health While taking histories of patients, I realized that the Sciences under Science & Engineering Research Board. occasional headache or mild abdominal pain that we consider trivial in our patients in India, are considered UCMS hosted the first meeting on 30th and 31st August, very important here and they are all investigated. 2012 under the chairmanship of Prof. V. I. Mathan. On this These patients are educated and their description of occasion Prof. Mathan also interacted with the faculty on symptoms appears to be from the textbook (and I was “Challenges of Health Research”. During the interactive wondering where all that description in the books Prof. V. I. Mathan session, faculty members asked questions regarding came from!). Sometimes, patients came with their opportunities for interdisciplinary research and need for research regarding own treatment plans; they wanted a specific integration of modern medicine with Indian systems of Medicine. treatment and were pretty adamant. Doctors obliged if they did not have any strong reservations against it. Editor: Dr. Arun Sharma, Professor, Community Medicine I remember rheumatoid arthritis being treated with Associate Editor: Dr. Upreet Dhaliwal, Professor, Ophthalmology Minocycline. In India, however, doctors are the boss! Members: Dr. Naveen Sharma, Associate Professor, Surgery What I realized was that the healthcare system of US Kuleen Prabhakar, Assistant Registrar, Accounts is much more advanced than India but they had a few Dr. Rumpa Saha, Assistant Professor, Microbiology flaws too, which I am sure they are working on. For Dr. Chander Grover, Assistant Professor, Dermatology example, there is a lot of defensive medicine being Dr. Sumit Rai, Assistant Professor, Microbiology practiced. Doctors always have a fear of litigation at Dr. Rajat Thwani, Intern the back of their minds. Even as a student I was Abhinav Aggarwal VIII semester, MBBS expected to have malpractice insurance. This leads to a lot of documentation, and all of it is online. So, a Correspondence: Dr. Arun Sharma, Editor, COSMOS University College of Medical Sciences, Dilshad Garden, Delhi 110095 prerequisite of practicing medicine in US should be E-mail: [email protected] | Ph: 011-22582972-77, Extn: 5307 good typing speed! Research & Humanities in Medical Education Open access, peer reviewed, online journal of Medical Humanities and Medical Education ISSN (online) 2350 0565

Editorial: Why Medical Humanities? March 30, 2014 Editorial Upreet Dhaliwal, MS Editor-in-Chief, RHiME, and Professor of Ophthalmology University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, University of Delhi, India

Corresponding Author: Dr Upreet Dhaliwal A-61, Govindpuram, Ghaziabad 201002, UP, India email: upreetdhaliwal at yahoo dot com

Received: 30-MAR-2014 Accepted: 30-MAR-2014 Published Online: 30-MAR-2014

How to cite this URL: Dhaliwal U. Editorial: Why Medical Humanities? RHiME [Internet]. 2014 Mar 30 [cited 2015 Mar 24];1:[about 2p.]. Available from: http://rhime.in/?p=47

For decades the paradigm has been to actively train doctors in diagnostic and technical skills, leaving soer skills – communication, ethics, humanitarianism, empathy – to be picked up passively through peer observa- tion or role-modeling. Despite such lop-sided training, many of our medical students go on to become out- standing, compassionate and ethical physicians; yet, from dierent parts of the country, we increasingly hear of violence against doctors at the hands of patients and their relatives when communication has broken down, or empathy failed to be shown. These instances highlight the need for active instillation of so skills during medical education, a sentiment endorsed by medical educators worldwide.[1,2]

It is clear that we need doctors who will respond sensitively to both the physical and the emotional needs of their patients. Obviously, the doctor must consider the patient as a whole; in equal measure, doctors must engage with patients with all of themselves – their minds,their hearts and their emotions – engage as per- sons who are able not only to heal, but also to feel and think, explain and understand and cope. To this end, educators are exploring the possible role of the humanities in medical education.[1-4]

‘Medical humanities’ is an inter-disciplinary way of looking at medicine through the lens of philosophy, the- ology, art, history, literature, anthropology, and other humanities subjects. It is not a list of subjects; it is an acknowledgment that there are subjective experiences which influence something as objective as the sci- ence of medicine.[3,4]

Students join medicine very early in life, usually at the expense of a basic training in the humanities, result- ing in one-sided intellectual growth. Add to that the current medical curriculum, which is exhaustive, stress- ful, and ever expanding. We have to find solutions that do not over burden students, and yet translate into improved patient care.

Can exposure to the humanities help in honing soer skills, while helping medical students unwind and de stress? Can such exposure act as a catalyst to bring about the much needed change in the way we learn medicine, and what remains unlearned?

The role of the medical humanities in medical education is as yet uncharted in India and most of Asia, and frankly, we don’t know if it is the answer; however, the literature is promising.[1-5] Through sharing illness narratives doctors can become aware of the range of experiences resulting from illnesses; they can begin to see it from the patient’s view-point; through the social sciences they can learn about cultural and personal circumstances and beliefs that impact health care practices. Such awareness may result in greater empathy, which, in turn, can lead to the doctor knowing the importance of providing an environment in which patients feel they can communicate freely and eectively.

In the University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi, the Medical Humanities Group of the Medical Education Unit has attempted to expose the medical fraternity to art, dance, theater of the oppressed, and films, hop- ing to enhance empathy, appreciation, critical thinking and self-awareness, which are important attributes for a doctor.[6] Discussions on books, movies or patient narratives have been shown to hone communication skills, judgment, professionalism, and reflective practice. The medical humanities can help in the develop- ment of tools that allow better engagement between patients and medical practitioners – better in the sense that they are guided by reflective and experiential practice, and are culturally relevant.[4]

A journal of medical humanities seems to be an appropriate vehicle to spur greater research in this exciting and promising new field; to encourage the sharing of ideas and experiences in the medical humanities; and perhaps to move the humanities from the realms of a curiosity, to that of an essential component of medical education.

RHiME is a journal with a dierence. With its primary focus being Medical Education and Humanities, it also seeks to explore intersections between ethical decision making, patient participation, creative expression, philosophy and history in medicine- in pursuit of medical educational goals. The multi-linguistic logo of the journal illustrates the ideology behind the formation of the journal and aims to encourage participation from readers with diverse backgrounds. We sincerely hope that you will participate in this endeavor and share your valuable work with us.

References

1. Blease C. Can a shot of humanities make doctors more humane? The Guardian: Notes and Theories. 2013 Nov 4. [cited 2014 Mar 30]. Available from http://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2013 /nov/04/medical-humanities-doctors-humane 2. Coulehan J. What Is Medical Humanities and Why? New York: New York University School of Medicine; 2008 Jan 25 [cited 2014 Mar 30]. Available from http://medhum.med.nyu.edu/blog/?p=100 3. Wellcome Trust. Funding: Medical Humanities. London: Wellcome Trust [cited 2014 Mar 30]. Available from http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Medical-humanities/ 4. Durham University. Centre for Medical Humanities: Medical Humanities. Durham: Durham University; 2013 Nov 12 [cited 2014 Mar 30]. Available from https://www.dur.ac.uk/cmh/medicalhumanities/ 5. Victoria Bates. Why should I care about medical humanities? London: Wellcome Trust; 2013 Oct 24 [cited 2014 Mar 30]. Available from http://blog.wellcome.ac.uk/2013/10/24/why-should-i-care-about- medical-humanities/ 6. The Medical Humanities Group. University College of Medical Sciences: Medical Education Unit. Delhi: Medical Education Unit; c2008-2014 [cited 2014 Mar 30]. Available from http://medicaleducatio- nunit.yolasite.com/medical-humanities.php