Competency-based child and adolescent psychiatry curriculum for Indian medical graduates: Need of the hour

The National Medical Council of India has introduced a Competency-Based Medical Curriculum for structured training of Indian Medical Graduates. The curriculum envisages training of the medical graduate in Bloom's cognitive, affective and communication skills as per Miller's competence framework. This competency-based curriculum has opened the way towards a structured training program for medical graduates to impart evidence-based teaching and groom them into holistic physicians. The introduction of psychiatry early into the medical graduate curriculum is a welcome step that can generate interest towards the specialty and provide core knowledge and clinical psychiatric skills. In this background, the author proposes introducing a structured Child and Adolescent psychiatry curriculum for undergraduates, which can prepare future doctors to provide child and adolescent psychiatric care in routine clinical settings. This competency-based child and adolescent psychiatry curriculum would help inculcate developmentally and socially appropriate knowledge, attitude and communication skills in managing child and adolescent psychiatric disorders.

Automated summary

The National Medical Council of India has introduced a competency-based medical curriculum to provide structured training for Indian Medical Graduates. The curriculum focuses on developing cognitive, affective, and communication skills, and also includes early introduction of psychiatry. The author proposes introducing a structured Child and Adolescent psychiatry curriculum for undergraduates.