Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, there has been a big change in the learning methods at medical colleges and other similar institutions in the country.

New-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have taken diagnosis, treatment, post-operative care, remote patient care and palliative care to a whole new level.

Ashutosh Niranjan, Dean of Noida International Institute of Medical Sciences (NIIMS), told IANS, "Traditional learning methods are going to remain in the coming times as well, but in the new age of technology, virtual reality, AI and ML are some of the new ways of learning." New methods are being implemented to teach and train future doctors and physicians.

For example, AI will improve the ability of physicians to store digital data and make diagnoses and prognoses. Experts believe that there are other new trends in teaching and assessment methods such as computer-aided instruction, virtual patients, augmented reality, human patient simulation, and virtual reality for assessing students' competency.

Medlearn's CEO Deepak Sharma said that the pandemic has proven to be a turning point for Indian healthcare. In the last century, it took 50 years for new information and knowledge to fully spread in healthcare, but in 2020, it took only 73 days for new knowledge to spread, Sharma said.

Earlier, the actual adoption of research-based knowledge in practical training used to be very slow. This was because new results in diagnosis and treatment had to go through rigorous testing and approval rules before knowledge could be widely implemented, and only when everything was in place, was it put into practice, he said. But now everything is changing because of the pandemic.

Many such opportunities have also come to the fore in healthcare wherein new skills and training are being imparted to the professionals without any threat to the patients. Experiments are now not being done on patients as well. All this has been possible only because of digitisation.

India has recognised health professionals and 53 related categories. Apart from this, India has also given a new shape to the need for education and training. There are many similar categories like mental health counsellor and therapist etc.

Apart from this, new professions like healthcare informatics, and molecular genetics specialists have also been recognised by the government.

There is also a growing demand for telemedicine and home healthcare, the fees for which have also been kept low. The fee for the comprehensive skill upgradation course for nurses from the Royal College of Nursing, UK, is just Rs 3,000 per year and covers 60 essential subjects.

The fees for specialised courses from the Emergency Nursing Association, USA, range from Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000 per year. Healthcare professionals can also improve their soft skills for Rs 500 to Rs 4,000.

Digitisation has made it possible to join American Heart Association courses that use state-of-the-art simulation equipment for basic life support and advanced cardiovascular life support. The courses also offer internationally recognised certificates, with fees ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 11,000.