Abstract Background: Under the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum proposed by the National Medical Commission of India, emphasis is placed on learner-centered, community-oriented, and self-directed learning. A Community Engagement Module is designed to enable medical students to understand fundamental disease concepts through active engagement with the community. Objective: To conduct a needs assessment to identify suitable topics for developing a Community Engagement Module, based on inputs from multiple stakeholders. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the need for a Community Engagement Module by collecting feedback from all relevant stakeholders via open-ended questionnaires. The feedback was analyzed, and the module was subsequently designed to define the teaching–learning methods, assessment strategies, and feedback mechanisms. Results: The suggested topics were grouped into three major categories: communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, and cancer-related conditions. A total of 45 topics were identified from stakeholder feedback. Tuberculosis and malaria were the most frequently suggested communicable diseases. Cancer-related topics primarily included general cancer screening, along with breast and cervical cancers. Among non-communicable diseases, anemia and diabetes mellitus were the most common, accounting for the highest number of responses. Stakeholders’ perceptions of the need to develop a Community Engagement Module were also documented. Conclusion: Consistent with the CBME curriculum, community engagement is an effective teaching–learning strategy that recognizes the vital role of medical students within the healthcare system. It offers students an opportunity to participate in public engagement activities while simultaneously learning the fundamental principles underlying disease processes.
Saldanha et al. (Thu,) studied this question.