Final Year Medical students feedback on Classroom Teaching

How to make Classroom teaching more effective and inclusive in Medical Sciences ?

I being a Cardio Thoracic surgeon, hence not a very experienced teacher of UG students in medical college, as super speciality departments don’t get to take many classes of MBBS. But teaching has always been my passion as I feel that when I teach, it’s a bilateral flow of knowledge transfer. In the process I gain a lot. I get a chance to transfer the knowledge of my teachers, the experience I gained from patients, cases and surgeries. If I am able to ignite or awaken few minds in my journey as teacher, I will be very happy person as I feel an awaken mind can find everything on his or her own later.

Once I asked final year medical students via online survey ( Name of colleges who participated not to be disclosed ) regarding their suggestions and feedback on class room teaching and how can it be made more inclusive and purposeful. 

In general, low attendance in classes prompted me to do this exercise. Around 40 final year students participated in feedback. I am summarising the inputs they gave with respect to classroom teaching, academic activities and atmosphere and also some related issues. 

I will also be thankful if respected teachers can also give their valuable suggestions and experiences, so that student’s satisfaction remains high.

If you have any suggestions or comments please feel free to post below.

Final Year Medicos (MBBS) feedback summary, as they have written

1. . .    PowerPoint presentations: slides are at times very lengthy, too many and it becomes very boring. Mix of black board teaching and ppt is very welcome.
   
   
   2.    All presentations by teachers can be uploaded online from where the students can download them later for better understanding.
   
   
   3.    Short MCQ session / Q and A after the class.
   
   
   4.    Theory lecture supplemented by a real scenario case history , wherever feasible.
   
   
   5.    Exams should have both descriptive and MCQ.
   
   
   6.    Exam timings, class timings and Syllabus notices to be shared well on time and also available on line.
   
   
   7.    Canteen which remain open late night and serves good multiple variety hygienic, protein rich, non-junk food.
   
   
   8.    Evening postings: students are of the opinion that they are hardly left with time for self study. Should not be more than 4 days a week.
   
   
   9.    No class on day of sessional exams and there should be one day gap between the exams.
   
   
   10. More integrated classes with theory and practical together and different disciplines involved teaching together. 
   
   
   11. Counselling sessions for PG branch/course to be held.
   
   
   12. Breakfast should be available before 8 am class in hostel.
   
   
   13. Clinical postings should have a syllabus of cases that needs to be seen.
   
   
   14. Attendance sheet should be shown to us every three monthly.
   
   
   15. Answer sheets of exams should be shown.
   
   
   16. Classes on communication skills, personality development. 
   
   
   17. Library should have more seating capacity.
   
   
   18. Lecture theatre infrastructure: Mikes, speaker, lack of Air conditioning, bad acoustics, un comfortable seats, dogs entering classrooms were common mentions.
   
   
   19. Training about financial planning and research methodologies. Also, how to write a paper and make a presentation.

I am sure we will ponder on above points.

Dr. Siddharth Lakhotia

MBBS, MS, M.Ch, FIACS

Professor and Head

Cardio-Thoracic Surgery

Institute of Medical Sciences

BHU, Varanasi

drslakhotia@gmail.com

https://www.ctsnet.org/home/slakhotia

Thanks Dr Siddharth, at least in my knowledge, you are the first person who raised the issue of teaching. In present scenario everyone assesses the status of Institutions by quality research outputs and projects grabbed. One should realise that proper understanding of the subject forms the plinth of quality research. We must introspect about the quality of teaching which we are catering to our students.