*4.2.2 The practice*

The camp is organized as a 2-week residential camp during the first year of the MBBS course. Every year a new village is selected for organizing the camp. The criteria for the selection of the village include the following:


So far, 51 villages have been covered. Each student is allotted 3–5 families consisting of 15–20 individuals. The students make a detailed study in the allotted families with the help of a journal of Community Medicine Practice under the guidance of the faculty, postgraduate students, and the paramedical staff of the Department of Community Medicine (DCM).

The students visit the allotted families in the morning as well as in the evening to collect the information related to their socioeconomic status, environmental and housing conditions, dietary pattern, immunization status of the children, addictions, personal habits, health status of every individual of the family, etc. They also learn about the customs, ethnic groups, community-based organizations working at the village level, and the facilities available in the village level. During the camp, the demonstration of the chlorination of wells, construction of soakage pits, smokeless chulah (furnace), etc. are also given.

During these camps, the students get so much acquainted with the families as if they are the members of the adopted families. During the social service camp, all residents of the village are examined and are subjected to blood, urine, and stool investigations. Wherever it is required, they are provided advice or treatment, in the general outpatient clinic in the village itself. Those who require specialist attention are referred to the specialist clinics which are organized in the camp daily in the afternoon. Again, specialists provide their advice or treatment; if it is so required, the patient is referred to the Kasturba Hospital, Sewagram, for admission/special investigations. The health care is totally free of cost during the camp period.

The students also carry out the diet survey in the family and calculate the calorie and nutrients intake of individuals under the supervision of the teachers.

The students are trained on how to communicate with the villagers and are given briefing about the various models, charts, and exhibits placed in the exhibition hall. Later, they bring the family members to the exhibition hall and educate them with the help of the charts and models under the guidance of the health educator.

#### *4.2.3 Monthly follow-up of the allotted families*

After the social service camp, for the next 3 years, the students visit their adopted village every month on a fixed Saturday. In the first year of their visits, the students study personal hygiene, basic sanitation, housing, immunization, diet, nutrition, growth, and development.

#### *Community-Oriented Graduate Medical Education: A Gandhian Approach DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93302*

During the subsequent period, the students are given exercise related to maternal, newborn, and child health; growth and development; breast and complimentary feeding; antenatal and postnatal care (PNC); and nutrition education. Consideration is given to health education involving teaching aids developed by the students themselves and to fertility control.

In the final year of their visits, the students perform exercises pertaining to local endemic diseases and their association with environmental sanitation, housing, vectors, personal hygiene, and safe drinking water and develop IEC material on preventive measures. The role of the village-level health providers and Village Health Nutrition and Sanitation Committee (VHNSC) are also studied by the students [11].

## *4.2.4 Qualitative methods and participatory learning and action (PLA) techniques*

The students are introduced to qualitative methods and PLA tools during the social service camp. They are explained about the qualitative techniques and are also demonstrated on how to apply those techniques in the villages to understand the views, perceptions, expressions, and opinions of the villagers about a topic. The students are exposed to the PLA tools such as social mapping, transect walk, Venn diagram, seasonal calendar, force field analysis, and focus group discussion.
