Transforming Medical Education: A Need for Mandatory Faculty Development Program for Standardized Implementation of Family Adoption Program Across the Medical Colleges of the Country

Abstract

Participation of the community in medical education provides students with a deeper understanding of the living conditions of the overall population and their impact on their health. The Family Adoption Program (FAP) has been implemented in the MBBS curriculum of all medical colleges nationwide since year 2022 as part of Competency-Based Medical Education. The first batch of students to which it was implemented was 2021. The objective is to offer Indian Medical Graduates a chance to engage in experimental learning focused on community-based healthcare. The primary objectives of this initiative are twofold: firstly, to enhance the accessibility of healthcare facilities for the community and motivate them to utilize these services, and secondly, to offer medical students specialized training that focuses on understanding the population's living conditions and how these conditions impact their health.  The purpose of creating and enforcing FAP was to train skilled doctors who can act as competent and empathetic leaders in primary healthcare, catering to the needs of the most disadvantaged individuals in society. The first batch to which this program was implemented i.e MBBS Batch 2021-22 to has already finished it. There is an abundance of observations and extensive experience from both students and faculty members, as well as the administration of medical facilities. Over the years, as new batch of students have enrolled for MBBS course, each of them have undergone FAP with certain modifications as suggested by the regulatory bodies from time to time. The program, since its inception in 2022 has continuously evolved to shed off its limitations at each subsequent evolution and to add on lustre to make it more glorious and fruitful, focussed directly on its goals and objectives thereby promoting better health care delivery within the community. As part of this program, each student must be assigned a minimum of five families. The student is required to build a strong connection, comprehend the individual's well-being and associated elements, and contribute to enhancing the healthcare of the family, and consequently, the community. Therefore, it is anticipated to contribute to the attainment of Universal Health Coverage. Public health academic bodies and medical institutions are actively endeavouring to enhance students' comprehension and interest in this program by integrating diverse and captivating competitions centered around FAP. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has already provided detailed guidelines for the execution of this program. These guidelines include clearly defined objectives and learning outcomes, serving as a comprehensive document to facilitate the initiation and implementation of the program in our medical institutions. The NMC has undertaken meticulous efforts to standardize the program and ensure its consistent implementation throughout all medical colleges. This includes monitoring and reviewing the program.