Qualitative meta-synthesis of feedback sentiments on foundation course for medical undergraduates

The Foundation Course, initiated by the Medical Regulator of India in 2019 under the competency-based curriculum for medical undergraduates, aims to facilitate a smooth transition into the medical profession at the entry level of the MBBS program in India. Aggregated analysis of feedback on this course is important for understanding perceptions and identifying areas for improvement. We used qualitative meta-synthesis to synthesize sentiments from feedback on the Foundation Course from published studies. The feedback corpus was analyzed using a lexicon-based approach to identify positive and negative words, and their context was examined to understand the sentiments expressed. The results highlight key themes and issues raised by respondents, providing nuanced insights to support informed decision-making and enhance the overall quality of the course. Overall, the Foundation Course is a well-received educational intervention in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement may further enhance the course and help meet its learning goals.