Perception of Students About Usefulness of Foundation Course in Medical Curriculum

Background: Foundation Course (FC) was introduced in the MBBS curriculum since 2019 with an aim to prepare a learner to study medicine effectively. The present study was undertaken to study the perception of students regarding its usefulness in the curriculum. Material and Methods: The study was conducted at a private medical college in Lucknow using a mixed method approach. The study population consisted of 1st phase MBBS students of 2021 & 2022 batch. Data was collected using a pre-validated questionnaire and FGDs. Results: The study included a total of 263 students. With regard to the attainment of various objectives of the course, the mean score and SD ranged from 7.59 + 1.65 for skills in IT to 9.39 + 1.23 for basic life support. Mean scores for all objectives except that for skills in IT and academic ambience, were found to be above 8.0. Mean scores for first aid and basic life support were above 9.0. In the analysis of qualitative data, 47.3% attributed exposure to campus environment and 41.1% attributed understanding of the profession to smooth acclimatization to medical college environment. 12.2% students suggested to increase the duration of the course and 20.9% suggested to decrease the duration. For improvement in the course, 35.7% recommended increasing hospital/ field visit and 40.7% recommended more of practical classes. Overall, the students perceived that the course attained all the objectives to a large extent. Conclusion: The students perceived the foundation course as a useful inclusion in their curriculum.