Using case-based role-play to learn professionalism in Pharmacology

Professionalism has been identified as a key competency for physicians to conduct, effective and ethical practice. The current competency-based medical education curriculum lays great emphasis on the development of attitude, ethics, and communication (AETCOM) among medical students which is embedded in the core concepts of professionalism. Comprehending these concepts early in the course of medical training is especially important as such a change may lead to reducing future incidents of professional misconduct. However, teaching this complex topic to undergraduate students through routine didactic lectures alone is challenging.

To address this, we divided the batch of second-year MBBS students into 5 random groups and assigned 1 case scenario for role play to each group with sub-questions for discussion and reflection. After a short introductory lecture on professionalism, each group presented their role-play and discussed the sub-questions. Assessment for the improvement in knowledge was done using pre and post-test multiple choice questions.

Our findings show a statistically significant improvement in the mean (± Standard Deviation) scores for post-test (16.76±3.00) vs the pre-test (11.56±2.81) (p< 0.0001). Participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive based on the 5-point Likert scale.

This shows that an interactive and engaging model, such as relevant case scenarios and role-play with reflection, along with assessment and feedback, could be effective for medical students, in learning the complex topic of professionalism.