Perceptions of pathology postgraduate students towards the District Residency Programme: A mixed-method study

Abstract

Background: The National Medical Commission released the Post-graduate Medical Education Regulations in 2021 with the District Residency Programme (DRP) guidelines given in general for broad specialties. Pathology being a diagnostic branch predominantly, we conducted this study to find out pathology postgraduate students’ perceptions on DRP. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based mixed-method study involving pathology postgraduate students who had completed their DRP. A validated 31-item questionnaire was prepared and circulated to students of various medical colleges across India. Results: Of the total 292 pathology postgraduate students who responded, 231 had completed their DRP. A total of 145 (62.77%) students had to travel daily or stay at another place, and 148 (64.07%) felt that the duration of DRP was long. A total of 79 (34.20%) students were not posted with their concerned/allied team, and 60 (25.97%) were not posted in the laboratory. A total of 133 (57.58%) students did not have remote access to their departmental academic activities. With a mean score of 4 and above, the students disagreed that DRP is of help to them. The open-ended question was analyzed thematically, and four themes emerged, the most common being the need for reform (44.04%) and the need for proper implementation (35.78%). Conclusions: The majority of the students felt that DRP was not helpful and had to be reformed. The duration of DRP for pathology residents can be reduced. The findings should be used to re-look into the structure and implementation of DRP for the benefit of pathology postgraduate students.