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With healthcare services in India coming under the consumer protection act, the cases of law suits against doctors are increasing every day. Training our students in ethical conflict resolution is very important in addressing this problem. The teaching modules for training students in ethical conflict resolution are to be tested before implementation. In this study we tested a module for teaching ethical conflict resolution to final MBBS medical students by comparing retention of knowledge by collaborative learning with individual efforts at learning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 38 students of final MBBS after obtaining informed consent and delivered an interactive lecture on resolving ethical conflicts using Davidson's principles and practice of medicine which is a prescribed textbook for medical undergraduates of our university as a resource material. Pre and post tests were conducted to assess the understanding. Subsequently the students were divided into two groups. Group 1 was given a short break after which the students wrote a long essay answer to solve an ethical case scenario for 10 marks. Group 2 had a group discussion to solve the same case scenario after which they answered the long essay question. Feedback was obtained from both the groups about the teaching learning activity. The long essay answers were assessed by two independent examiners and the performance of students in both the groups was compared. RESULTS: The students were divided into 2 groups by alternate number allocation. Both the groups were comparable in their posttest performance. Group 1 wrote the answer to the long essay by individual effort. The average marks for this group was 5.95+1.25. Group 2 answered the long essay question by collaborative learning and had an average score of 6.95+1.23. There was a significant difference between the two groups with the unpaired t test being 2.48 and p value <0.05. The interrater reliability for the examiners was found to be Kappa=0.42(p <.0.0001) suggestive of moderate agreement. Many students expressed satisfaction with the teaching module. The students from group 1 predominantly liked the module as a way of sensitising about an important issue. The students of group 2 liked the module as a way of collaborative learning. Both the groups opined that inclusion of role plays, videos, integrated interdisciplinary teaching and other tools could be used to improve the learning. CONCLUSION: Collaborative learning is more effective in retention of knowledge in comparison to individual efforts for teaching principles of ethical conflict resolution.

Introduction: Even though Mortality and Morbidity meetings (M&Ms) are incorporated into postgraduate training programs for imparting the attributes of self-appraisal, audit and quality control, they are not uniformly structured across institutes. This study describes the pattern of conducting M&M at a Medical College in North Karnataka in the context of the perceptions of faculty and residents of our medical college and proposes recommendations. Aim: To generate recommendations for conducting structured M&Ms meetings derived from the perceptions of faculty and residents, and prior feasibility experience at a medical college hospital. Materials and Methods: The present mixed method study was conducted in the Department of General medicine, SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka, India, in the month of July 2022. The perceptions of faculty and residents of medicine were obtained by a paper survey. The results of the survey were compiled and analysed by the one of the authors. The responses were matched with the records of M&Ms as conducted in the Department of General Medicine from November 2017 to May 2019. The cases were thematically analysed as deviation from standard protocols of care, multidisciplinary consults, iatrogenic cause of death, unresolved diagnosis and system failure by other authors. Any recommendations recorded were noted. The attendance for such meetings were measured as a surrogate of importance attached. Data was entered in the Microsoft Excel spread sheet. Descriptive statistics were calculated by frequency and proportions for qualitative variables. Results: A total number of 150 participants (65 were faculty including senior residents and the remaining 85 were postgraduate residents) completed the survey. The participants of the survey preferred the presentation by 3rd year residents and junior faculty. While selecting the cases for M&Ms, they preferred systematic selection turn-wise. The participants of the survey considered that while analysing M&M cases; conflicts in multidisciplinary consults, iatrogenic cause of death, human error and deviation from standard protocols of care should be emphasised. During November 2017 to May 2019, a total of 38 M&Ms were held (19 mortality and 19 morbidity meetings). The criterion for mortality case selection was subjective. Five cases were presented during each meeting. Predominant case presentations included interdepartmental transfer issues and procedural lapses. The Department of General Medicine had 30 postgraduate residents and 25 faculty members. The average attendance of residents and faculty was 90% and 78%, respectively. Conclusion: Regularly conducted M&M in a medical college hospital are important in training medical students for audit of medical errors, quality control and appraisal in a safe environment. Prospective selection of cases by recognising potential incidents; and evidence based, structured, uniform conduct of M&Ms by participation of teams involved in healthcare can reduce errors.

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There is a need for overhauling the assessment of cardiovascular system in final MBBS summative exams towards one aligned to the competencies as required in an Indian Medical Graduate. Blueprinting of practical assessment with due weightage assigned to epidemiologically important topics is the need of the hour.