Hello everyone, and welcome! I’m so glad you could join me today. I’m here to share exciting updates about our newly released User Manual for Third Professional BAMS Curriculum by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine, or NCISM.
Opening and Context
First things first: Why this new user manual? Well, the NCISM has been working hard to modernize and streamline Ayurveda education. Their goal is to produce efficient, skilled clinicians who can thrive in the ever-evolving healthcare landscape. This new manual is a continuation of changes introduced in the first and second professional BAMS curricula—now tailored specifically to your third professional year.
Throughout this post, I’ll walk you through the main points of the user manual: the structure of the curriculum, teaching-learning methods, assessments, and some tips for making the most of these new guidelines. Let’s dive in!
Foreword and Vision
In the foreword, NCISM emphasizes that modernizing Ayurveda education doesn’t mean discarding its classical roots. Instead, it’s about making learning more effective and relevant for today’s context. The commission wants to align Ayurveda education with NEP 2020, adopt scientific insights, reduce outdated content, and introduce project-based and activity-based learning. Ultimately, the objective is to produce graduates who are clinically competent, ethical, and compassionate Ayurvedic physicians.
Graduate Attributes and Program Outcomes
Before we move into the specifics, the manual highlights certain Graduate Attributes (GAs)—like being knowledgeable in Trisutra (cause, symptoms, and therapeutics), being a continual learner, a strong communicator, and an ethically grounded clinician. You’ll also find Program Outcomes (POs) that match each of these attributes, making it clear how your day-to-day learning connects to the bigger picture of professional practice.
For example, GA1 aligns with PO1, ensuring you understand core Ayurveda principles for health and disease management. GA8 relates to PO8, which focuses on good communication skills with patients, families, and peers. This mapping helps everyone—students and teachers alike—stay focused on the essential targets of your BAMS training.
Overview of the Third Professional BAMS
Your third professional year spans 18 months, just like the other professional years. Within these 18 months, you’ll cover nine distinct courses:
- Kayachikitsa (including Manasa Roga, Rasayana, and Vajikarana)
- Panchakarma & Upakarma
- Shalya Tantra
- Shalakya Tantra
- Prasuti Tantra evam Stree Roga
- Kaumarabhritya
- Samhita Adhyayan-3
- Atyaikachikitsa (Emergency Medicine)
- Research Methodology and Medical Statistics
The manual provides detailed course codes and equivalent modern medical terms for clarity. You’ll notice a balance between theoretical lectures and non-lecture activities, reflecting the new 1:2 ratio of teaching hours (lecture to non-lecture) that NCISM has introduced.
Navigating the Curriculum Tables
Much of the manual is organized into helpful tables. Here’s what you’ll see:
- Course Learning Outcomes (COs): Each course has a set of outcomes that spell out what you should be able to do by the end.
- Topic List and Hours: For every topic, you’ll find how many lecture hours and non-lecture hours are allocated.
- Detailed Learning Objectives: This table specifies which domain of learning—cognitive, psychomotor, or affective—applies to each objective, how in-depth you should go, and what types of teaching-learning methods to use.
- Assessment Blueprints: Finally, you’ll see how each topic is assessed, whether through MCQs, Short Answer Questions, Long Answer Questions, practical demonstrations, or viva voce.
Pay special attention to the columns labeled “Must Know,” “Desirable to Know,” and “Nice to Know.” This classification helps prioritize your learning. The “Must Know” topics demand the most focus—these are areas you absolutely need to master.
Teaching-Learning (T-L) Methods
One of the biggest shifts is the emphasis on non-lecture hours. Instead of relying solely on traditional lectures, you’ll engage in:
- Group discussions
- Case-based and problem-based learning
- Workshops and skill labs
- Role plays
- Field visits
- Flipped classroom sessions
- Team-based learning
- Self-directed online study
These innovative methods aim to make you an active participant in your own education, bridging the gap between textbook knowledge and real-world application.
Assessment Approach: Formative and Summative
Assessments are divided into:
- Formative – These are periodic or internal assessments like quizzes, presentations, OSCEs, or short projects. They help gauge your ongoing progress.
- Summative – This is your final university exam at the end of the year, covering the entire syllabus.
The manual provides detailed guidelines for question paper patterns, distribution of marks, and even how many questions to set from each topic. You’ll notice new structures like 20 MCQs, 8 Short Answer Questions (SAQ), and 4 Long Answer Questions (LAQ) for each 100-mark theory paper, ensuring a fair evaluation of both breadth and depth of your knowledge.
Lesson Plan Templates and Implementation
To help your teachers plan effectively, the manual offers a sample lesson plan template. It prompts them to specify:
- The topics and subtopics they’ll cover
- The learning objectives
- The domain of learning—cognitive, psychomotor, or affective
- The teaching method (e.g., lecture, demo, group work)
- The type of assessment—quiz, assignment, or practical exam
You’ll also see guidelines for integrating content across subjects. That means you might study certain topics in, say, Kayachikitsa and Shalya Tantra together for a more holistic view. This integration fosters collaboration among different departments and helps you see how Ayurveda’s foundational principles connect to various specialties.
How to Use This Manual
- Students: Refer to it whenever you’re unsure about the depth of a topic or the nature of upcoming assessments. It’s like your roadmap to mastering the essential competencies for Third Professional BAMS.
- Faculty: Align your lesson plans, teaching materials, and assessments with the manual’s objectives and guidelines. The new ratio of lecture to non-lecture hours is there to encourage creativity, interactive discussions, and hands-on skill development.
Key Takeaways
- Outcome-Focused: Everything from graduate attributes to program outcomes is clearly mapped. This helps you understand what’s expected of you by the end of your BAMS journey.
- Integrated Teaching: Look out for opportunities where subjects overlap. These are deliberate to help reinforce concepts in a real-world context.
- Active Learning: Whether it’s role-playing clinical scenarios, working on group projects, or engaging in self-directed online modules, expect to be more involved in the learning process.
- Continuous Assessment: Smaller, regular assessments will keep you on track well before the final exams, reducing the pressure and enhancing genuine understanding.
Closing Remarks
So there you have it—a bird’s-eye view of the User Manual for Third Professional BAMS Curriculum. It’s designed to help you cultivate profound medical skills, a research-oriented mindset, and a compassionate approach to patient care. If you embrace these guidelines and actively engage in both your lecture and non-lecture hours, you’ll be well on your way to becoming the next generation of proficient Ayurveda clinicians.
In the following posts, we’ll take a deeper look at each subject area and give you practical tips on how to excel under this new curriculum structure. For now, take some time to read through the manual, keep an open mind, and get ready for an enriching educational journey!
Thank you for tuning in, and I’ll see you in the next post. All the best in your Third Professional BAMS journey!
