Perception of medical students to “NEW NORMAL” and its Reflection on their studies during COVID 19.

Abstract

Objective: To find the effectiveness of online teaching and its reflection on their academics during COVID19 pandemic in basic medical science. Study Design: Cross Sectional Descriptive study. Setting: University Medical and Dental College, Faisalabad. Period: March 2019 to November 2021. Material & Methods: A total of 531 undergraduate MBBS & BDS (1^st & 2^nd year) students were included. A questionnaire was designed and shared online in Google classroom to get students’ feedback. The data obtained was analyzed on SPSS 25 by using ANOVA and Chi-Square Tests. Results: 62.76% students declared that learning in physical classrooms is more understandable than e-learning, while 58% students were satisfied with this transformation of online teaching and secured better grades in e- assessments, while 69% students agreed with the fact that on campus assessment is more productive. According to our results 68.24% students preferred physical teaching and assessment methodology and 67.11% students agreed that team work with peers is more productive in on campus classes than e-classes. Conclusion: We investigated various aspects of e-learning experience of medical students and found a mixed opinion. By improving our infrastructure and using modern techniques we can make online medical education system more effective and productive for our students in future.