Encouraging enrollment of medical students in massive open online courses

Abstract

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) commonly refer to a group of courses that are offered on a wide range of interesting topics on the online platform and are generally open for all. An extensive search of materials related to the topic was carried out in the PubMed search engine and relevant research articles published in the period 2016–2019 were included in the review. Amid the ongoing coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, an exponential rise in the demand for online courses has been reported owing to the reduction in the possibility of conventional face-to-face teaching. These courses help the medical students to become self-directed and lifelong learners and eventually play a significant role in meeting the vision of a competent Indian Medical Graduate. In fact, the Medical Council of India recognized the utility of such courses and has made it mandatory for all the postgraduates and even for teaching staff to enroll in the basic course in Biomedical research as a part of enhancing their exposure to research. In conclusion, the enrollment of medical students in MOOC courses can prove to be extremely useful for them in refining their professional skills. However, it is essential to guide the students to opt for the right course out of the available wide range of courses, so that they take a well-informed decision and get benefited from job perspective as well.