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| LETTER TO EDITOR |
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| Year : 2021 | Volume
: 17
| Issue : 3 | Page : 101-102 |
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Capacity building of medical practitioners in geriatrics through PG diploma in geriatric medicine program
Ruchika Kuba
School of Health Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, India
| Date of Submission | 05-Dec-2021 |
| Date of Acceptance | 09-Dec-2021 |
| Date of Web Publication | 16-Dec-2021 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Ruchika Kuba
Room No. 113 School of Health Sciences, Raman Block (Block D), New Academic Complex, Indira Gandhi National Open university, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi - 110 068
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/jiag.jiag_33_21
How to cite this article:
Kuba R. Capacity building of medical practitioners in geriatrics through PG diploma in geriatric medicine program. J Indian Acad Geriatr 2021;17:101-2 |
How to cite this URL:
Kuba R. Capacity building of medical practitioners in geriatrics through PG diploma in geriatric medicine program. J Indian Acad Geriatr [serial online] 2021 [cited 2023 Jan 29];17:101-2. Available from: http://www.jiag.com/text.asp?2021/17/3/101/332589 |
Sir,
Indira Gandhi National Open University, established by an act of Parliament in 1985, is the largest university in the World. It was the first University to offer Post Graduate Medical Education Programs for doctors through open and distance mode. PG Diploma in Geriatric Medicine, is one such program, which has been running since 2004 and aims at capacity building of in-service doctors in the area of geriatrics so that they can provide primary health care to the elderly and refer them appropriately, if and when required. More than 2000 doctors have taken this program till date.
This 1 year program has more than 50% of the credits devoted to practical training.(one credit is equivalent to 30 h of learning which includes reading and assimilating course material, attempting assignments, engaging in classes and practicing hands on training). Under the implementation plan of the program, this practical training is conducted using a three tier approach [Figure 1] – demonstration of essential skills in learner support centers (LSCs) housed in medical colleges and tertiary hospitals, learning under supervision in district level hospitals designated as skill development centers and practice at their own work place. The LSCs are housed in the prestigious colleges and hospitals like Maulana Azad Medical College Delhi, B J Medical College Pune, M S Ramaiah medical college and hospitals Bangalore, Kolkata Medical College and Cuttuck Medical College to name a few.
With the coming of COVID-19, when restrictions on travel and social distancing were enforced, IGNOU was forced to adopt alternative but equally effective methods of training by incorporating technology in education which demonstrated how the online mode could be integrated in offering the program through the blended mode. [Figure 2] shows the modified delivery model for the program.[1]
The Launch of NPHCE[2] and advances in medical diagnostics, treatment options and technologies that have revolutionarized education and training, have been taken into account and the program has been revised for content and implementation strategy. The revised program will be offered from January 2022. IGNOU having a pan India jurisdiction, the programs can be taken up from anywhere in India.
Interested doctors can enroll in the program by visiting the IGNOU website (www.ignou.ac.in) and applying through the online application forms in the Samarth Portal.
The revised program of 1 year duration has 36 credits. It consists of six courses, three of which are practical courses. The program package has multiple media [Figure 2] which include soft and hard copy of the course material, assignments for continuous monitoring and formative assessment of the theory courses, web conferencing classes, hands on skill training at identified medical colleges and/tertiary level hospitals supplemented with hands on practice at district level hospitals under the supervision of trained counselors, customized videos and term end examination for ensuring competency before the diploma is awarded. [Figure 3] shows the components of the program package for the program. All the resource material and important information is available to the students on a single platform build on a web portal. [Figure 4] depicts some of the pages in the web portal.
It is proposed to undertake the capacity building of the health workforce of this country by skilling the medical practitioners in areas related to Geriatric Medicine with this Continuing Medical Education program.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | |  |
| 1. | Kuba R. Technology enabled delivery of medical programmes through ODL: A case of training medical doctors in geriatric medicine. J Learn Dev 2021;8:298-311.  |
| 2. | |
[Figure 1], [Figure 2], [Figure 3], [Figure 4]
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