Teaching and Learning of Attitudes, Ethics and Communication using the AETCOM Module in India

The National Medical Council of India has introduced AETCOM in its new CBME curriculum to focus on learning in the affective domain. Learning in the affective domain was hitherto relegated to the hidden curriculum, poses unique challenges, and requires use of additional teaching-learning [TL] methods that are not routinely used. Most medical college faculty members are unfamiliar with these methods. Case vignettes, video clips, book review, mock ethics meetings, field visits, story-telling (patients /caregivers / doctors), standardized patients, feedback from alumni/seniors, guest lectures, ward rounds with ethical checklists, news-paper clippings, assignments and projects, student seminars/debates and role plays are some methods that can be used to improve learning in the affective domain. Any of the teaching learning methods for affective domain listed above should be followed by reflection using Boyd’s triangular reflection model (What happened? So what? and Now what?). Teaching attitudes, communication and ethics cannot be done in isolation. It must be integrated into routine patient care and other everyday experiences that medical students are exposed to.