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Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine | Volume 46 | Issue 5 | September 2024
382
Review Article
HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Verma N, Gupta S and Shatadal P. Research in Psychiatry Medical Education through “MUST Enrich Grant”:
A Scoping Review. Indian J Psychol Med. 2024;46(5):382–390.
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DOI: 10.1177/02537176241265742
Submitted: 12 May 2024
Accepted: 16 Jun. 2024
Published Online: 02 Aug. 2024
Address for correspondence: Pooja Shatadal, Department of Psychiatry,
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Hospital, Majura Gate, Surat, Gujarat 395001, India.
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Copyright © The Author(s) 2024
Research in Psychiatry Medical Education
through “MUST Enrich Grant”: A
Scoping Review
Nitisha Verma1, Snehil Gupta2 and Pooja Shatadal3
ABSTRACT
Background: The Indian Teachers of
Psychiatry (IToP) forum introduced a unique
research grant scheme- IToP-MUST (Minds
United Scholarship for Teachers) Enrich
Research Grant- for conducting research in
psychiatry education. This scoping review’s
objectives are to (a) assess the research
areas and methodologies of MUST Enrich
grant-supported research, (b) identify
strengths and limitations of these research
works, and (c) inform the researchers and
funding agency concerning robust
methodologies and study areas that can be
considered in the future.
Methods: We included all MUST-funded
original educational research projects from
their inception (2020) to the present, which
were either published or, although unpub-
lished, available in the public domain.
Results: Eleven research projects were
identified. Most awardees were junior
academic faculty members (n = 9, 82%).
Eight (73%) studies were related to
Competency-Based Medical Education
(CBME) and were based on teaching-
learning (TL) or related methods under the
CBME framework, focusing on newer TL
methods. Seven of eight (88%) were based
on undergraduate TL. Most (n = 8, 73%) of
the studies had an observational cross-
sectional design, whereas the rest were
interventional studies. Almost all were
quantitative studies (n = 10, 91%). The prime
themes of the research were students’ and
teachers’ perspectives on the study topic,
innovations in psychiatry TL, and their
educational impact.
Conclusion: This review’s findings will
inform funders and researchers about
future research areas and help formulate
robust methodologies. Other funders must
earmark their funding for educational
research to grow this field.
Keywords: MUST-Enrich grant, funded
research, psychiatry medical education,
CBME
There are approximately 1,08,940
MBBS and 71,000 post-graduate
(PG) seats, including all the dis-
ciplines currently in India.
1
It has been
5 years since the NMC (National Med-
ical Commission, erstwhile Medical
Commission of India-MCI ) rolled out
the new CBME (Competency Based
Medical Education) curriculum in August
2019. New concepts like competency and
outcome-based teaching-learning (TL),
integrated teaching, Attitude, Ethics,
and Communication (AETCOM), etc.,
were brought forth. The introduction
of CBME has resulted in the implemen-
tation of new and innovative TL and as-
sessment methods at an unprecedented
scale. There is a need to conduct educa-
tion research studies related to medical
education to evaluate the effectiveness
of this new curriculum model and to find
out the perspectives of various stake-
holders like the students, the teachers,
and the educational outcomes of the
novel TL methodologies utilized by the
medical educators across the country.
In the Indian scenario, medical teachers
do not receive proper training in research
methodology during their degree and PG
courses, which results in a lack of motiva-
tion to conduct research after obtaining
their degree.
2
The conduct of research on
1Department of Psychiatry, ABVIMS & Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, Delhi, India. 2Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS), Saket Nagar, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. 3Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College Surat, Surat, Gujarat, India.
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine | Volume 46 | Issue 5 | September 2024
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine | Volume 46 | Issue 5 | September 2024 383
Review Article
topics related to medical education is even
less common, as training in medical edu-
cation-related topics is even less common.
There are also few avenues to conduct
funded research in the field of medical
education in India. Conducting a research
project in medical education is mandatory
as part of courses like ACME (Advanced
Course in Medical Education) and FAIMER
(Foundation for Advancement of Interna-
tional Medical Education and Research)
Fellowship; however, they are not funded.
Funding is usually provided by agencies like
ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research)
and by institutes, particularly the institutes
of national importance (INIs), as intramural
research grants. Professional bodies such
as the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) also
provide funds for conducting multicentric
studies at the national level or various other
research projects related to psychiatry at the
zonal/state level. However, these funds are
not only earmarked for research in medical
education, including psychiatry, which is
often considered a low-priority subject in the
medical field, as evidenced by not a single
certifiable competency required in it to pass
MBBS.
3
A review of research on medical
education in India during the COVID-19
pandemic showed that none of the 22
studies analyzed were from psychiatry.
4
The Indian Teachers of Psychiatry
(IToP) forum has significantly promoted
research in psychiatry medical education
from 2020 onwards. It is a novel step,
a teacher’s platform raising funds from
Minds United for Health Sciences &
Humanity Trust, Mysore. This Trust has
received additional funds from the Infosys
Foundation. Thus, the IToP Forum intro-
duced a unique scholarship grant called
the IToP-MUST (Minds United Scholar-
ship for Teachers), an enriching research
grant for psychiatry teachers. This grant
provides a Rs 10,000 scholarship exclu-
sively for conducting research projects
related to topics on psychiatry education
under the guidance of two peer mentors.
5
Despite the significant strides in
psychiatry medical education research
through grants like the MUST Enrich
grant, there needs to be a comprehen-
sive review of the quality and content
of this funded research work, including
the characteristics of the grant awardee.
Therefore, this scoping review aims to fill
this gap by reviewing all the information
available regarding the research projects
supported by the IToP-MUST research
grant from its inception till now. The
objectives of the current article are to (a)
Methodically assess the research areas
and methods of research works con-
ducted under the MUST Enrich grant,
(b) Identify strengths and limitations
of these research works, and (c) Inform
the researchers and funding agency con-
cerning robust methodologies and study
areas that can be considered in future.
Methods
The current research was intended to review
all MUST Enrich grants awarded to various
researchers (psychiatry faculty members)
nationwide. We restricted our review to
the MUST Enrich grant as, to the best of
our knowledge, this is the only award ded-
icated to psychiatry teachers and focused on
medical education-related research. As this
was a review paper, it is exempted from the
institute’s ethical boards’ review. Moreover,
since this is research didn’t involve any par-
ticipants, there was not point of obtaining
any participants’ consent.
Inclusion and Exclusion
Criteria
We included all MUST-funded educa-
tional research projects from its inception
(the year 2020) to date, which were either
published in a peer-reviewed journal or,
although unpublished, presented in
the National CME on Psychiatry Educa-
tion and Faculty Training at St. John’s
Medical College, Bengaluru on January
15, 2022, or presented on the virtual
mode in the Sunday Special 60 minutes
for psychiatry teachers launched by
the IToP Forum. Only original research
works were included in this review;
non-original works (review papers, opin-
ions, commentaries) were excluded.
Search Strategy
We obtained the list of all the MUST
awardees from the IToP website and
their contact details.
5
One of the authors
(NV) contacted individual authors over
the phone or email, explaining the ratio-
nale of the current review and requesting
they share their research, either published
papers or presentations. Authors were
assured that their unpublished work
would be handled with confidential-
ity, appropriately cited in the review
work, and not shared with a third party
without their permission.
Process of Data Curation
Two authors (NV and PS) independently
reviewed individual papers/presenta-
tions and entered the data into a Google
spreadsheet, with predefined variables
mutually identified by the investigators.
Differences in opinions and doubts
were cleared through a collaborative
process of mutual discussion between the
data curators and by seeking the opinion
of an independent author (SG), who also
reviewed the spreadsheet data entry for
ambiguity, inaccuracy, missing data, etc.
This collective approach ensures the thor-
oughness and accuracy of our review.
Notably, the awardees and their
respective guides were also contacted if
necessary. The data screening process is
depicted in a flowchart (see Figure 1).
Results
We identified 11 research projects for the
present scoping review and have pre-
sented crucial characteristics of these
research works.
Overview of Projects
Three (27%) of them were already
published,
6–8
and eight (73%) were unpub-
lished/in the process of publication at the
time of conduct of this review. All eight
unpublished studies were either presented
or findings disseminated in various aca-
demic fora: four (50%) were presented in
the Sunday Special 60 Minutes for Psychi-
atry teachers
9–12
; two (25%) were presented
in the National CME on Psychiatry Edu-
cation and Faculty Training at St. John’s
Medical College, Bengaluru,
13,14
whereas
two (25%) were presented at both places.
15,16
Author Characteristics
Concerning the gender distribution
of the grant recipients, seven (64%)
awardees were males, and four (36%)
were females. Two (18%) were senior psy-
chiatry faculty (professors),
9,14
whereas
the remaining nine (82%) were junior
faculty (assistant or associate profes-
sors) at the time of grant receipt. With
regards to the regional distribution of
the researchers, seven (64%) were from
the IPS-South Zone, two (18%) were from
IPS-West Zone,
9,15
and one (9%) each
was from IPS-Central
12
and East Zones
16
(Table 1).
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine | Volume 46 | Issue 5 | September 2024
384
Verma et al.
FIGURE .
Flowchart Depicting the Process of Data Curation.
MUST: Minds United Scholarship for Teachers Enrich Research Grant, IToP: Indian Teachers of Psychiatry.
Study Characteristics
Area of the Study
Eight (73%) studies were related to the
NMC’s newer CBME. Seven of those
eight (88%) were based on undergradu-
ate teaching. All eight (100%) were based
on the TL or related methods under the
CBME framework.
Study Design
Most (n = 8, 73%) of the studies had
an observational cross-sectional study
design, whereas the rest (n = 3, 27%) were
interventional studies.
6,15,16
Notably, out
of the three interventional studies, only
one (33%) had a comparison arm.
6
Study Type
Ten (91%) studies were quantitative in
nature, whereas only one (9%) study used a
mixed-methods approach.
9
None of them
used a purely qualitative approach to research
the TL approaches under the CBME.
Sample Characteristics (Participants,
Sampling Technique, and Sample Size)
Ten out of 11 studies (91%) employed pur-
posive sampling techniques, whereas
TABLE .
MUST Enrich Awardee’s Characteristics and Publication Status of their Research Works.
Awardee/Author Characteristics
Name (Place) Gender Designation
MUST Enrich
Research Grant Year/
Publication Status Study Title Ref no.
1. Dr Vasantmeghna Murthy
(KIMS, Karad*)
Female Assistant Professor 2020-21/Unpublished Online modular teaching to promote
self-directed learning among second-year
undergraduate medical students
15
2. Dr Sharmishtha Deshpande
(SKN Med. Clg., Pune)
Female Professor & Head 2021-22/Unpublished Psychiatry internship in CBME curriculum 9
3. Dr Amit Singh (KGMU, Lucknow) Male Assistant Professor 2021-22/Unpublished Rise of sub/super-specialization in
psychiatry—A new endeavor in India
12
4. Dr Nimmy Chandran
(GMC, Palakkad#)
Female Assistant Professor 2020-21/Published
(Kerala Journal of
Psychiatry 2022)
Effect of online customized psychiatry
teaching on the perceptions about
psychiatry among undergraduate medical
students: A randomized controlled study
6
5. Dr Johnson-Pradeep Ruben
(St John’s Medical College,
Bengaluru,)
Male Associate Professor 2020-21/Published
(Indian Journal of
Psychiatry 2022)
Effective and innovative teaching
methods in psychiatry for the medical
undergraduates in South India: An
exploratory study of teachers’ and
students’ perspectives
8
6. Dr K Raman (Saveetha Medical
College, Chennai)
Male Professor 2020-21/Unpublished Psychiatry residents as teachers: The need
for development of structured training
module for Pedagogy
14
7. Dr Raviteja Innamuri (GMC,
Nizamabad, Telangana and CMC,
Vellore
Male Asst Prof CMC
Vellore/Consultant
Psychiatrist
2020-21/Published
(International Journal
of Health and Allied
Sciences 2023)
Perceived adequacy of training and
identification of barriers to choosing
academic faculty positions among
psychiatry postgraduate students in India
7
(Table 1 continued)
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine | Volume 46 | Issue 5 | September 2024
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine | Volume 46 | Issue 5 | September 2024 385
Review Article
Awardee/Author Characteristics
Name (Place) Gender Designation
MUST Enrich
Research Grant Year/
Publication Status Study Title Ref no.
8. Dr Suvarna Jyothi Kantipudi (Shri
Ramchandra Institute of Higher
Education and Research Chennai)
Female Associate Professor 2020-21/Unpublished Development and validation of a script
for simulation-based teaching of
suicide-risk assessment competencies to
undergraduates in India
13
9. Dr Suhas Satish (NIMHANS,) Male Assistant Professor 2021-22/Unpublished Scripting originality- Analyzing
plagiarism attitudes and perspectives
11
10. Dr Sujoy Ray (IQ City Medical
College, Durgapur$)
Male Asst Prof/
Specialty Doctor,
Southampton, UK
2020-21/Unpublished Podcasts as a teaching-learning method
for undergraduates in psychiatry
16
11. Dr Guruprasad (BMCRI Bangaluru) Male Assistant Professor 2021-22/Unpublished A comparative study of the outcome of
teaching cum learning related to suicide-
risk assessment using mobile app versus
conventional teaching for ug medical
students
10
12. Dr Rajiv Saini (Command Hospital,
Kolkata)
Male Professor 2020-21/Published
(Indian Journal of
Psychiatry)
Selecting a thesis topic: A postgraduate’s
dilemma
–
*Maharashtra, #Kerala, $ West Bengal.
(Table 1 continued)
only one study (9%) used a randomized
sampling technique.
6
Six studies (55%) had participants in
the form of medical undergraduate stu-
dents and/or interns, three studies (27%)
had PG students,
7,11,12
and two studies
(18%) had psychiatry teachers or psychi-
atrists as expert participants
13,14
; notably,
one study (9%) also involved non-psy-
chiatrist medical education experts as
participants.
13
The sample size of the reviewed
studies ranged from 22
15
to 227.
14
Most
of the studies (n = 7, 64%) were unicen-
tric, whereas four (36%) also involved
participants from more than one
center (recruited through online survey
methods).
7,12–14
Instruments
Seven studies (64%) used a self-designed
semi-structured questionnaire to realize
their research objectives. Three studies
(27%) used pre-designed validated
scales,
6,11,15
whereas one (9%) modified a
pre-designed scale to suit the objectives
8
(Table 2).
Discussion
The present scoping review is intended
to synthesize the characteristics of all
MUST Enrich grants (researchers, areas
of research work, and methodologies)
awarded to psychiatry teachers across the
country. The strength of the present review
lies in being the first to assess the charac-
teristics of the funded research work in
psychiatry education supported by the
MUST Enrich research grant scheme.
Moreover, our data extraction technique
and systematic review approach added
value to the current research work.
Overall, we found that most of the
research was geared at the CBME, con-
ducted by junior psychiatry faculty,
observational in nature, and aimed at
assessing the perspective/perceptions
of students and teachers, innovations in
psychiatry teaching and learning, and
their educational impact. Additionally,
topics like suicide risk assessment, which
is otherwise difficult to teach and an area
of public health importance, received
greater emphasis in this funded research.
We found that eight out of 11 teach-
ers focused on CBME in their research
(seven on UG CBME and one on PG
CBME). This finding is crucial given that
the NMC has implemented the CBME
curriculum for medical undergraduates
since August 2019, and the number of
teaching hours allotted to psychiatry has
increased considerably; it still needs to be
a major subject. Moreover, no certifiable
skill has been earmarked in psychiatry.
17
Hence, psychiatry teachers are respon-
sible for making psychiatry TL appealing
to undergraduates so that they can learn
effectively and maximally in the allot-
ted time and improve the country’s
overall mental health.
18
The MUST grant
awardees’ preference to take up CBME as
a research topic might be an attempt to
make psychiatry teaching more effective
or engage stakeholders (students and
residents) in psychiatry.
Furthermore, the MUST awardees
have focused on newer TL methods in
psychiatry. These include online teach-
ing,
6,15
mobile app-based TL methods,
10
simulations,
13
and podcasts to enrich
learners’ learning experiences.
16
Impor-
tantly, Ruben et al. explored both
students’ and teachers’ perspectives on
effective and innovative TL methods for
undergraduates; the author found that
role play-based TL and live/simulated
patient-based TL were the most used
innovative TL methods.
8
Strikingly,
a senior faculty member
9
, focused on
aligning the CBME principles during the
psychiatry internship.
Another senior faculty developed a
30-hour module for enhancing the TL
skills of residents.
14
This work is vital
given that NMC also emphasizes the
importance of training PGs in TL skills.
19
More research must be conducted in this
area as it would raise interest among
future psychiatrists in TL methods and
underscore the importance of psychi-
atry teaching for psychiatry residents
TABLE .
Details of the Research Methodology, Findings and Critical Appraisal of the Research Work.
Author & Study Title Aim & Objective(s) Methods Results Current Investigators’ Remark
1. Dr Vasantmeghna Murthy
(Online modular teaching
to promote self-directed
learning among second-
year undergraduate medical
students)
To examine the effects of online
modular teaching-learning of
psychopharmacology on self-reported
self-directed learning among second-
year medical students
Participants: Second-year MBBS students (n=22)
Study type: Interventional (online teaching module
on pharmacology; 10 weeks pre-post type)
Broad area of research: CBME/Teaching methods
Sampling method: purposive
Instruments: Self-rating scale for SDL
Non-significant changes in the mean
SDL score before (231.3 ± 26.6) & after
the intervention (227.3 ± 31.3).
No control group.
The small sample size & high attrition rate are
the major limitations of the study.
2. Dr Sharmishtha Deshpande
(Psychiatry internship in
CBME curriculum)
To document knowledge and views
of interns toward the psychiatry
internship posting with FGD
Participants: Interns (115)
Study design: Observational, cross-sectional,
Mixed-method (FGDs)
Sampling method: Purposive
Broad area of research: CBME/Teaching methods
Instruments: semi-structured questionnaire
Interns gained knowledge but did not
attain the required competencies in
handling common mental disorders,
Psychiatric emergencies, and
prescribing psychotropics.
Details of the thematic analyses are not
provided.
Change in knowledge assessed through
MCQs; however, details not provided.
3. Dr Amit Singh (rise of sub/
super-specialization in
psychiatry—A new endeavor
in India)
To understand the perspectives of
psychiatry students and psychiatrists
from India on the need of sub/super-
specialization courses in psychiatry &
To explore the structural components
of the curriculum for sub/super-
specialization courses in India
Participants: Psychiatrists & Residents (n=148)
Study design: Observational, cross-sectional
(Survey)
Sampling method: Purposive Sampling
Broad area of research: Higher education in
psychiatry
Instruments: Semi-structured questionnaire
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry,
De-addiction Psychiatry, and
psychotherapy were perceived as
branches needing further exposure.
The best course recommended was a
PDF of 1 year duration.
Perspectives could have been assessed
better through qualitative research
(in-depth interviews and/or FGDs).
Purposive sampling & subsequent findings
may not be representative of national
sentiments.
4. Dr Nimmy Chandran (Effect
of online customized
psychiatry teaching on the
perceptions about psychiatry
among undergraduate
medical students: A
randomized controlled study)
To assess the effect of online
customized psychiatry learning on
perceptions about Psychiatry among
undergraduate medical students
Participants: Second-year MBBS students (two
groups, each comprising 16 students)
Intervention: Online customized psychiatry
teaching (vs. regular curriculum teaching)
Study design: Interventional-RCT
Broad area of research: CBME/Teaching methods
Instruments: Images of Psychiatry questionnaire
Online customized psychiatry teaching
did not improve perceptions about
Psychiatry compared to regular
curriculum teaching during two weeks
of intervention.
Negative results can be attributed to the
small sample size & short duration of the
intervention.
Details of randomization and allocation
concealment process not mentioned.
The phase of MBBS may have influenced
the results; second-year students have other
major subjects to focus on, while Psychiatry is
a part of Medicine in the final year.
5. Dr Johnson-Pradeep Ruben
(Effective and innovative
teaching methods in
psychiatry for the medical
undergraduates in South
India: An exploratory study
of teachers’ and students’
perspectives)
To evaluate the teachers’ and
students’ perspectives of effective
teaching methods in psychiatry for
medical undergraduates.
To assess the concordance of each
item and explore innovative teaching
methods
Participants: 34 UG students, 26 interns, 15 teachers
Study design: Observational, cross-sectional,
exploratory
Sampling technique: Purposive sampling
Broad area of research: CBME/Teaching methods
Instruments: Modified teachers and medical
students perspectives of effective psychiatry
teaching methods
Role play-based learning and live/
simulated-based learning were
reported as the most commonly used
innovative teaching methods by both
the students and teachers.
Validation of the two modified scales is not
mentioned.
6. Dr K Raman (Saveetha
Medical College, Chennai)
To propose a module for pedagogy
training of psychiatry residents as
teachers
Participants: 227 Psychiatry teachers
(faculty & SR)
Study design: Observational, cross-sectional (survey)
Sampling technique: Purposive sampling
Broad area of research: CBME/Teaching methods
Instruments: Semi-structured questionnaire
The components of the teaching
module agreed upon by the majority
included knowledge about curriculum,
TL methods, and microteaching skills.
The proposed 30-hour teaching module needs
to be validated/pilot-tested for its usefulness.
7. Dr Raviteja Innamuri
(Perceived adequacy of
training and identification
of barriers to choosing
academic faculty positions
among psychiatry
postgraduate students in
India)
To explore the perceived adequacy
of training and identification of
barriers to choosing academic
faculty positions among psychiatry
postgraduate students in India
Participants: 101 Psychiatry postgraduate
students
Study design: A cross-sectional survey
Sampling technique: Purposive sampling
Broad area of research: residents’ perspectives
on academic faculty position as a career option
Instruments: Semi-structured questionnaire
61% participants rated their overall
training in psychiatry as “average and
above.”
Deficient areas- psychotherapy, ECT,
rTMS and subspecialties.
Facilitators for academic psychiatry
career were interest in academic
career, interest in both teaching and
research and better work-life balance.
Barriers were inadequate pay, politics,
and lack of independence job-wise.
Qualitative research (using In-depth
interviews/FGD) would have suited the
objective better.
Purposive sampling limits generalizability.
The questionnaire used was not validated.
8. Dr Suvarna Jyothi
Kantipudi (Development
and Validation of a script
for simulation-based
teaching of suicide-risk
assessment competencies
to undergraduates in India
To develop a reliable culturally
sensitive script designed to instruct
medical students in suicide-risk
assessment competency
Participants: Psychiatry and medical education
experts (n=44)
Study design: A cross-sectional validation study
Sampling technique: Purposive sampling
Broad area of research: CBME/Teaching
methods (simulation-based teaching methods)
Instruments used: Semi-structured questionnaire
Content Validation Ratio (CVR) score 1,
unanimous agreement is shown on
most parameters,
partial disagreement on-
confidentiality (CVR: 0.32)
acknowledgment of stressors
(CVR: 0.77) and debriefing elements
(CVR: 0.73)
Validation of the semi-structured
questionnaire used to determine CVR among
experts is not mentioned.
Further refinement of the script based on
continuous feedback, testing its effectiveness
in educational settings, and exploring its
applicability across diverse contexts will help
improve the CVR in different domains.
9. Dr Suhas Satish (Scripting
Originality- Analyzing
plagiarism attitudes and
perspectives)
To study knowledge and attitudes
toward plagiarism in postgraduates,
SR, and PhD scholars
Participants: 81 psychiatry trainees/research
scholars
Study design: observational cross-sectional
Sampling technique: Purposive sampling
Broad area of research: perspectives on
plagiarism in research
Instruments: ATPQ (Attitude Toward Plagiarism
Questionnaire) and Plagiarism knowledge
detection.
The overall attitude toward plagiarism
by the respondents was in the
moderate range for all three attitudinal
factors: Positive, negative and
subjective norms.
None of the JR or SR scored 9 or 10
(out of 10) on knowledge assessment,
median knowledge scores JR1(4),
JR2(4) JR3(4) SR1(4) SR2(2) SR3(3.5),
PhD scholars(5).
Individual perspectives have not been
reported in the study.
Qualitative analysis would be needed
for a better understanding of individual
perspectives on the topic.
10. Dr Sujoy Ray (Podcasts as a
teaching-learning method
for undergraduates in
psychiatry)
To evaluate the improvement of
knowledge of undergraduates in
topics of psychiatry following learning
through podcasts
Participants: UG students (n=100)
Study design: interventional
Intervention: topic-specific podcasts
Sampling technique: Purposive sampling
Instruments: MCQ-based questionnaire
Broad area of research: CBME/Teaching methods
A significant change in mean score on
topic test pre-podcast:3.64 and post-
podcast:18.94; P<.001
First study on the use of podcasts in
Psychiatric education in India.
No comparison with lecture or other modes of
TL.
Sample size calculation not mentioned.
11. Dr Guruprasad (A
comparative study of
the outcome of teaching
cum learning related to
suicide-risk assessment
using mobile app versus
conventional teaching for ug
medical students)
To study the outcome of teaching
cum learning related to suicide-risk
assessment using mobile app versus
conventional teaching for ug medical
students
Participants: Third year UG students
(138; 67 in conventional teaching and 67 in
mobile app-based teaching)
Study design: Observational cross-sectional
comparative study
Sampling technique: Purposive
Instruments: semi-structured questionnaire
Broad area of research: CBME/Teaching methods
(comparison of self-assessment for life mobile
App with conventional TL)
No significant difference between test
scores or modality preference between
the two groups.
87.61% found the mobile application
easier to comprehend than the
conventional teaching methods.
Mobile application learning for the
implementation of suicide-risk
assessment in MBBS students is not
inferior to conventional teaching
methods.
An interventional pre-post-study design with
an assessment of the difference between the
change in mean scores in both groups (post-
intervention) would have given a better idea
of the outcomes.
12. Dr Rajiv Saini (Selecting
a thesis topic: A
postgraduate’s dilemma) is
excluded as it is an opinion
paper, not an original article
FGDs: focused group discussions, JR: junior resident, PDF: post-doctoral fellowship, RCT: randomized control trial, SDL: self-directed learning, SR: senior resident, TL: teaching-learning.
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine | Volume 46 | Issue 5 | September 2024
388
Verma et al.
in mental health promotion and reduc-
ing psychiatry or mental health-related
stigma.
Even though the researchers have
worked on newer TL methods, an
important component of the CBME, a
few important areas under the CBME
still need to be explored, such as forma-
tive and summative assessments for the
medical UGs or psychiatry PGs.
20
This
becomes essential given that CBME/
NMC emphasizes periodic formative
assessments (FA) to promote learning.
17
Future research must delve into newer
and more effective ways of implement-
ing assessments in psychiatry.
Two researchers have looked into the
usefulness of online platforms.
6,15
Both
used an asynchronous mode of online TL
and did not find any significant improve-
ment. Such research is vital when CBME
envisages a learner-centric and flexible
approach to continue training till the
desired competencies are achieved.
17,18
Online platforms offer various advantages
in this regard. The recorded TL sessions
available online can be reviewed several
times by the learner, which promotes
flexibility and self-paced learning.
15,20,21
However, both the above asynchronous
TL methods lacked learner-learner and
learner-teacher interactions, which is an
important aspect of conventional TL.
21
Future research may use synchronous
mode, favoring both teacher-learner and
learner-learner interactions, along with
asynchronous TL to determine its role in
improving learning outcomes.
Future researchers may also study
virtual objective structured clinical
examinations (OSCEs) and simulated
patient videos as assessment methods.
20
Other potential research topics could
be the implementation of electives and
how electives could help improve learn-
ers’ knowledge and skills and reduce
stigma toward psychiatry. The role
of sensitizing undergraduates toward
mental disorders in their foundation
course, including its role in reducing the
stigma toward psychiatry and increas-
ing students’ interest/improving their
perception toward psychiatry, is another
potential area of research. Moreover,
effective ways of integrating psychiatry
with other disciplines and its educational
outcomes may also be studied.
Similarly, studies may focus on the
role of early clinical exposure to psychia-
try and short-term enrichment programs
in helping learners learn essential com-
petencies along with soft skills like
communication and empathy at the
earlier stages of their education and
its impact on the attitude and skills of
young budding doctors.
Researchers could also focus on
feedback, its implementation, its role
in improving learning outcomes and
experiences, and the challenges of both
students and teachers in giving and
receiving feedback.
Reflection at the end of every lecture
or narrative writing to train students
on critical aspects of AETCOM may be
studied to enhance self-directed learning
(SDL), which is important for fulfilling
the role of a lifelong learner as defined by
the NMC for Indian Medical Graduates.
Two researchers have worked on newer
TL methods for suicide risk assessment for
undergraduates. One has focused on sim-
ulation-based TL,
13
whereas the other has
focused on mobile-app-based TL.
10
With
a suicide rate of 12 per lakh population in
2022, suicide is a major issue of national
public and mental health importance.
22
When assessing a patient’s risk of
suicide directly through interaction,
several challenges must be overcome.
These include privacy invasions, con-
fidentiality, stigma issues, a lack of
standardized learning experiences, limit-
ed case diversity, learning time con-
straints, challenges obtaining patient
consent, subjectivity in measurement,
inconsistent case distribution, and
patient resistance.
13,18
Hence, researchers’
efforts in describing novel and innova-
tive TL methods are laudable and call for
replication across settings and student
populations (year-wise).
Future researchers could explore inno-
vative and newer TL methods on similar
sensitive topics like psychosexual health,
forensic psychiatry, dealing with vul-
nerable populations (LGBTQ+, victims
of abuse), and ethics in psychiatry for
undergraduates.
We found that the researchers explored
the usefulness of newer TL methods, but
only a few compared them with conven-
tional methods.
6,10
For instance, podcasts
were used as a TL method to evaluate the
improvement in knowledge.
16
However,
there was no comparison with lecture or
other online modes of TL. Therefore, it
is challenging to elucidate how podcasts
fare compared to conventional or other
modes of TL for improving knowledge/
cognitive domain in undergraduates. As
CBME focuses more on competencies,
future researchers could use podcasts in
combination with other TL approaches
to provide comprehensive coverage, that
is, covering attitude and skill domains
along with the cognitive domain of the
topic and comparing them with conven-
tional TL methods.
Only some studies have attempted to
validate their assessment tools or inter-
ventions to promote psychiatry training.
For instance, a script was developed as a
TL method for suicide risk assessment
competency.
13
Content Validity Ratio
was calculated among various experts
for the script’s components using a semi-
structured questionnaire. However, the
researcher needed to provide the details
of the validation of the semi-structured
questionnaire, thus limiting its replica-
bility or usability. Along similar lines,
a 30-hour module was proposed for
enriching the TL skills of residents, but
the module needed to be validated or
pilot-tested.
14
Another researcher mod-
ified a pre-designed scale to meet his
research objectives, but he also needed
to give details of how the two modified
scales were validated.
8
Future grants must endeavor to
provide a more granular account of their
methodologies or frame a robust meth-
odology to overcome these limitations.
We found that researchers have also
focused on novel topics like analyz-
ing knowledge and attitudes toward
plagiarism
11
and the need for sub/
super-specialization courses in psychia-
try,
12
which is highly appreciated. Along
similar lines, future researchers could
focus on the AETCOM module and the
alignment and integration of psychia-
try with other subjects. Forty-five of 119
psychiatry competencies have been inte-
grated vertically or horizontally in the
CBME.
17
Researchers can look into how
far integration and alignment are being
implemented, the experiences and chal-
lenges faced, and feedback from both
faculty and students to modify it further.
We also noticed that researchers who
studied online TL methods did not find
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine | Volume 46 | Issue 5 | September 2024
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine | Volume 46 | Issue 5 | September 2024 389
Review Article
any significant improvement with this
compared to conventional methods.
6,15
This can be attributed to the small
sample sizes of the studies (32 and 22
participants, respectively) and the short
duration of their interventions (2 weeks
and 10 weeks, respectively). Moreover,
both had 2nd-year undergraduates as
participants. The MBBS phase may also
have influenced the results as 2nd-year
students have other major subjects to
focus on, and psychiatry is a subject in
3rd year/final year. A larger sample size,
longer duration of intervention with
regular periodic follow-ups, and having
undergraduates from phase III (part 1 or
2), where Psychiatry forms a part of the
theory examination, could help better
assess the effect of these TL methods.
We observed that six authors’ objec-
tives were to evaluate participants’
perspectives/perceptions, and most of
them used a quantitative design to assess
their objectives.
6–9, 12, 14
Only one author
used a mixed-methods approach in her
study, though the researcher did not
perform a detailed thematic analysis of
the responses.
9
A qualitative study design
could have explored these more effectively.
We also found that no systematic
review and meta-analysis (SRMA) was
carried out as a part of the MUST
research grant. Future researchers could
present SRMA of various TL/assessment
methods and other topics of importance
in the CBME.
One reason for the above-mentioned
methodological limitations of the re-
viewed research is the limited time dura-
tion, that is, 1 year, allotted to complete
the grant work. Finalizing a research
topic and obtaining ethics approval may
take much time, including 3–4 months,
and the awardee needs more time to
collect and analyze data. Moreover, qual-
itative research using in-depth interviews
or focused group discussions and their
content/thematic analysis takes more
time than quantitative research.
We recommend that the MUST Enrich
research grant organizers extend the time
limit granted to the awardees for complet-
ing their projects to a minimum of 2 years
to improve the quality of the research
projects. Authors may need to purchase
certain copyrighted scales or software for
their research. The grant organizers may
also consider giving a second award to the
awardees to help them realize their goals.
Most awardees were junior faculty
members from the South zone of India.
We recommend that various psychiatric
associations, like the Indian Psychiatry
Society and its zonal branches, make
the MUST Enrich grant more popular
so that more interested researchers can
benefit from it and we have more quality
research from the country (e.g., IPS multi-
centric study with a theme on psychiatry
education-related research). Similarly,
various intramural (institutional) and
extramural funding (Indian Council of
Medical Research, Department of Health
Research) must be earmarked for educa-
tional research.
Also, senior faculty should be encour-
aged to take up MUST grant-funded
projects and work on research related to
psychiatry teaching. This will help better
implement the results in the existing
system. Also, the administration and
Medical Education Unit may be more
easily involved by senior faculty in psy-
chiatric teaching than junior faculty.
Most of the research carried out in
teaching institutes focuses on clini-
cal aspects.
23
To conduct more quality
research on psychiatry education, faculty
may be trained to conduct educational
research. Moreover, Psychiatry journals
(including IPS zonal journals) may ded-
icate a regular column to educational
research (like a dedicated column “Learn-
ing Curve” on statistics in the IJPM) to
encourage similar research works.
Limitations of the
Present Study
Most of the research done is still unpub-
lished. We focused on a single research
grant scheme and did not involve non-
psychiatry-related educational research
work that may have psychiatry teach-
ing as an important component or be
relevant to psychiatry teaching. We also
did not explore the perspectives of the
MUST grant awardees, which could have
provided important insights into the topic.
Conclusion
This review will inform readers and
funding agencies regarding the current
trends in psychiatric medical education
research toward the new CBME curriculum
introduced by NMC, focusing on TL
methods and sensitive topics like assess-
ment of suicidality. The research was
mostly conducted by junior faculty and had
a cross-sectional and quantitative design.
Future research may focus on qualitative
or mixed-method study designs and assess-
ment methods, including novel areas like
AETCOM, integrated TL, and better meth-
odologies. Other funders must earmark
their funding on educational research for
the growth of this field.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr. Sujit Kumar Kar, Additional
Professor, KGMU, Lucknow for his valuable input
on the draft manuscript.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of
interest with respect to the research, authorship
and/or publication of this article.
Declaration Regarding the Use of
Generative AI
We have not used any AI tool to collect or ana-
lyze data, produce images or graphs, or write this
article.
Funding
The authors received no financial support for the
research, authorship and/or publication of this
article.
ORCID IDs
Nitisha Verma https://orcid.org/0000-0002-
0789-4700
Snehil Gupta https://orcid.org/0000-0001-
5498-2917
Pooja Shatadal https://orcid.org/0000-
0002-1342-3964
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