Competency-based medical education and anemia in pregnancy: A mixed-methods intervention study among medical students in India

Background: Traditional medical education in India emphasizes theoretical knowledge, with limited focus on competency-based outcomes that integrate clinical skills, decision-making, and interprofessional collaboration. Effective management of anemia during pregnancy requires a comprehensive understanding of pathophysiology, timely recognition of complications, and multidisciplinary interventions. This study was designed to deliver competency-based modules and to compare objective and subjective assessment outcomes. Methods: A mixed-methods, intervention (pre-post test) design was used. Purposive sampling was utilized to select a batch of 40 undergraduate medical students among all students enrolled that year. A faculty panel designed five competency modules and assessments covering 15 areas. Nine areas were assessed objectively, and six were assessed subjectively. Assessment areas were classified using Miller’s pyramid and revised Bloom’s taxonomy. Objective assessments measured knowledge and understanding, scored as 1 for correct and 0 for incorrect answers. Scores were summed per domain; means and standard deviations were calculated. Subjective assessments evaluated higher-order competencies, scored 0–5 by faculty, with independent mean and standard deviation calculations. Results: Objective assessments showed significant improvement in metabolism and physiology (P <0.001), recognition of complications (P=0.04), management strategies (P <0.002), and multidisciplinary collaboration (P<0.001), while the monitoring and follow-up domain showed no significant change. Subjective assessments revealed significant gains in all areas except recognition of complications. Conclusion: Competency-based medical education (CBME) implementation significantly improved medical students’ competencies in key domains related to anemia in pregnancy, in both objective and subjective assessments. The results underscore the importance of diverse assessment methods and continuous evaluation. This study provides a blueprint for naive settings adopting CBME, promoting cross-learning to standardize and enhance medical education and patient care quality.