Online Teaching during Pre and Para Clinical Phase in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic and its Impact on Clinical Training-Perception of Indian Medical Students.

Background COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a lot of challenges at medical education system and has necessitated a swift change from conventional classroom/laboratoryoriented/bed-side teaching to technology based online teaching. Academicians have worked hard to overcome robust challenges to facilitate students' continued learning. Objective In the wake of this drastic shift in teaching methodology, the present study aimed to investigate and understand the perceptions of medical students about online teaching and its impact on clinical training. Method Fifty students of 1st Year MBBS professional course of 2019 admission batch voluntarily and anonymously filled-in a questionnaire on online teaching and its effects on learning compared with regular classroom teaching in 2020 within 3 months of introduction of first ever online teaching methodology. Same students were followed up with same questionnaire during their final year of MBBS course in April 2023. Additionally, they were given a questionnaire to assess the impact of this shift on their learning. Result In Indian scenario most of the students opined regular classroom teaching as the better method over online teaching reasoning that concentration and learning are better in classroom teaching. Additionally, internet connectivity and accessibility issues further affected the reach and effect of online teaching. This perception did not change from 1st year to their final year. Also, the students believethat shift in teaching methodology has hampered negatively on their learning, understanding and developing clinical skills. Conclusion Overall Indian medical students preferred regular classroom teaching over online teaching.