Medical colleges yet to take SBLCs, CBCS seriously

Hyderabad: Simulation-Based Learning Centres (SBLCs), value-added courses, interdisciplinary and Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) are a few among several components which the health universities and medical colleges are yet to take seriously.

According to sources in the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), the Medical Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs), will have to submit such details as part of submission of Self Study Report (SSR), as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for accreditation.

Speaking to The Hans India, a NAAC senior official pointed out that there are very few of the MHEIs in the southern States which are taking certain components seriously meant as part of the Institutional Information for Quality Assessment (IIQA) for accreditation. Similar is the case regarding Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States.

Unlike earlier, the NAAC is improving the SOP to ensure the quality standards in the institutions across the disciplines. When it comes to the MHEIs, they are asked to provide details about the "percentage of programmes offered under the CBCS or Elective Course System (ECS) based on the provisions of the regulatory bodies," he added

Apart from the postgraduate, degree, diploma courses, the MHEIs are also asked to provide the percentage of interdisciplinary courses under the programmes offered by them. Besides, the number of value-added courses offered to the students to impart transferable and life skills and the number of students, who have completed such courses.

Another key component that the MHEIs are asked whether they have provision for the use of Clinical Skills Laboratory and Simulation-Based Learning (CSL&SBL). This includes basic clinical skills training models and trainers for clinical skills in the relevant disciplines.

That apart, the NAAC accreditation will also be evaluating the MHEIs based on the details relating to the establishment of advanced patient simulators for simulation-based training, structured programmes for training and assessment of students in clinical skills lab or simulation centre.

The number of training programmes being conducted to train the faculty in the use of clinical skills lab and simulation methods of teaching-learning.