Background: In case of a CBRNE catastrophe, junior doctors (first responders) will be the first to respond to the CBRNE disaster, so they should be fully equipped with the knowledge and skills of managing CBRNE casualties and preventing the endangerment of lives. Objectives: To assess the awareness and preparedness of first responders in medical institutions regarding CBRNE casualties’ management and to explore the perceptions of first responders towards CBRNE disaster management. Materials and Methods: The present study was a mixed methods study which was conducted during the months of January to March 2020 among 153 study participants. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted along with free listing and pile sorting till data saturation. Data entry was done in an Excel sheet and data analysis was be done using SPSS software v. 21. Results: Out of the 153 participants only 37 participants (24.1%) had ever heard about the term “CBRNE” (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear disasters) or “hazmat” (hazardous material). At the end of FGDs, participants could answer affirmatively that they had heard the term “decontamination” of CBRNE casualties. Very few participants could ambiguously explain the meaning of the term “decontamination” in the context of CBRNE casualty. Conclusion: There is an imperative need for enhancing not only knowledge and awareness, but also proper training for first responders to utilizing simulation sessions. This is particularly important as health care professionals are the first line of defence when it comes to identifying and treating patients that have come into contact with CBRNE hazards.

Introduction: Though E learning among medical students has been well received in other parts of the globe, challenges to implementation can only be documented through a longer duration study which can truly fathom the learning experiences of medical students and how their perceptions, preferences and barriers change over a period of time. Objectives: To assess the transition of preferences, perceptions and barriers among medical students towards E-learning during the six months and to explore the perception towards E learning using qualitative method Methodology: The present study used Mixed Method approach to find out the transition of e learning experiences through their perception, preferences and barriers among medical students over the period of 6 months from April to Nov 2020. A total of 296 students belonging to the second year MBBS and Prefinal year were recruited using complete enumeration method.286 students returned the questionnaire in phase 1 and 277 students in Phase 2. The investigators conducted Focused group discussion (FGD) in two batches of 10 students. Results: There was a significant increase of 20.4% (p =0.007) in students’ preference to classroom teaching in Phase 2 as compared to phase 1. Lack of personal interaction was perceived as a barrier in phase 1 by 180(62.9%) students, only 71(25.6%) students perceived it as a barrier in phase 2. There was significant increase in participants 96 (34.6%) in Phase 2 as compared to phase 1 (19.9%) who replied negatively about its inclusion in the curriculum (p =0.0003). In phase two there was a significant increase in number of students as compared to Phase 1 who perceived that lack of access to internet and data availability as a barrier to E learning (p=0.002). Continuity of education during pandemic time and distractive environment with lack of motivation was quoted by many students when asked about merits and demerits of e learning in FGD. Conclusion: The present study raises certain important questions regarding the utility of E learning during extended periods of lockdown which needs to be addressed if we have to adopt this new method of learning. Any new method of learning has to consider students preferences and perceptions if it has to yield satisfactory outcomes with respect to knowledge and skill acquisition.