The teaching of Community Medicine is not limited within the four walls of the institution as Undergraduate and postgraduate students are posted in the Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC) and Urban Health Training Centre (UHTC) wherein they are taken to the rural field practice areas, urban slums for their training on community health problems. The department also participates in several National Health Programmes which include immunization programmes at this institution and also in rural and urban areas. Interns are posted at RHTC & UHTC for 2 months for their training on Public Health and Social Medicine. The department also conducts School Health Programmes in different Primary Schools and Health Surveys. Practical Examination (University) of this discipline will be conducted in Rural Field Practice areas.
This department has a Museum, Library, Research Laboratory etc. and conducts seminars, journal clubs, and group discussion regularly.
The department has well-equipped laboratory and museum. Seminar-cum- tutorial rooms are equipped with audio-visual aids. Three rural PHCs and one urban PHC are established for teaching,training & health care delivery purposes since 1991. There is hostel accommodation in one rural PHC. The department is also conducting Under-five clinics in collaboration with department of Paediatrics,antenatal clinic in collaboration with department of G & O. Outreach immunization camp, health camp, school health survey & other research activities are also carried out on regular basis.
Every undergraduate student is allotted families in the field practice area for the health problems. The department has adopted a unique innovative method of teaching-learning exercise known as case-based teaching for undergraduate students. During these sessions’ students are made to understand the group dynamics and role of doctor–patient relations in patient management.
Visits to places of public health importance are arranged regularly for the benefit of both undergraduate and postgraduate students at their different levels of academic terms.
According to the recommendations of Medical Council of India, Interns are trained in rural/urban field practice areas for two months. Journal club & seminar presentation is held in regular basis by the postgraduate students every week on Tuesdays & Thursdays respectively. Every postgraduate student is posted in rural & urban center for a period of 1 year.
The following activities are included in the regular weekly training schedule for the interns
Out-patient clinics at urban & rural field practice areas
School Health Services at urban & rural field practice areas
Study of Clinico-social cases / Community family cases
Health Education in Field areas & Hospital wards
Under-five clinics & antenatal clinic
A Health Bulletin panel covering the latest public health initiatives/threats are updated on a daily basis by the postgraduate students of the department.
The department has an excellent museum for the undergraduate & postgraduate medical students. This reinforces what has been taught in didactic lectures.
It consists over 200 panels covering subjects as varied as demography, family welfare, maternal and child health, nutrition, communicable and non-communicable diseases, health care of the community, medical entomology and international health etc.
There are two well-equipped laboratories in the department - one for undergraduate & another for research purposes.
The Epidemiological &statistical section has been actively involved in data management, statistical analysis, report writing and training in collaboration with other departments of the institution.