Ensuring systematic introduction and implementation of the pandemic module in the medical undergraduate training in India

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created a sense of emergency among the public health authorities and the general population across the world. The present review has been carried out to explore the introduction of pandemic module in the undergraduate medical training period in India. An extensive search of all materials related to the topic was carried out in the PubMed search engine, the Medical Council of India website, and the World Health Organization website. Keywords used in the search include pandemic module, medical education, COVID-19, and awareness in the title alone. Initially, a total of 15 studies were identified, of which five were excluded as they were not matching with the current review objectives. Finally, a total of 10 research articles and one document were selected based upon the suitability with the current review objectives and analyzed. In order to be better prepared for the upcoming public health emergencies, including pandemics in the future, it has emerged as one of the necessities that the medical undergraduate students are exposed to the pandemics during the period of their training. Acknowledging the presence of these pressing needs, the Medical Council of India has introduced a Pandemic Module, which will be run on a longitudinal basis, starting right from the time of entry, across all the professional phases, and also in the form of an elective course. To conclude, the introduction of pandemic module in the undergraduate medical education training period is a welcome step to empower the students to discharge their roles effectively in their career. It is now the responsibility of individual medical colleges to properly plan and implement the designated number of sessions and benefit the students.