The MSc in Clinical Psycho-oncology is an multidisciplinary programme designed for those planning careers in psychosocial care of persons affected by cancer and pallatieve care. The programme is especially useful for psychologists, Counsellors, social workers, nurses, doctors, and persons from allied health fields with an interest in oncology. The programme is benchmarked to International Standards in Psycho - oncology practise and contexualised to meet local and regional needs.

Formative and Summative assessments are conducted by the department to ascertain the readiness for learning and the attainment of learning outcomes. Assessments are examinations are based on competency framework and principles of outcome-based education. Attainment of learning outcomes/ expected competencies is evaluated using either holistic or analytic rubrics, grading schemes or attainment criteria specified to the students at the beginning of the semester. Learning outcomes (Course outcomes) of each course are mapped to programme outcomes. Assessments and examinations follow the principle of constructive alignment and outcomes are mapped to higher-order thinking skills. The most common frameworks used in this programme include Revised Blooms Taxonomy and Structure of Observed Learning outcomes (SOLO) and ICAP framework.

 Assessment is based on the performance of the student throughout the semester.

Credit Structure

Normally 15 hours of classroom teaching in a semester is considered as one credit for theory courses.

• Courses with 30 hours per semester will earn the candidate 2 credits.
• Courses with 45-50 hours per semester will earn the candidate 3 credits.
• Courses with 51 hours and above per semester including practical will earn the candidate 4 credits.
• Dissertations/Practical equivalent to one course will earn the candidates 4-6 credits.

This course introduces the basic principles and methods of biostatistics, providing students with a sound methodological foundation for practice in health care settings. The purpose of the course is to teach fundamental concepts and techniques of descriptive and inferential statistics with applications in health care, public health, and epidemiology. Basic statistics, including probability, descriptive statistics, inference for means and proportions, and regression methods are presented.

Looking at your data – Types of data, tables and graphs, central tendency and dispersion

Probability – Bayes theorem, sensitivity and specificity, odds ratio and relative risk

Distributions – Binomial, poisson, normal, central limit theorem, standard scores/z scores

Statistical inference – Samples and populations, power, confidence intervals, p values, type 1 and type 2 error

One and two groups – One sample population mean, paired sample t test, independent sample t test

Comparing more than two groups - One way ANOVA, two-way - ANOVA

Comparing two groups (categorical outcomes) -Chi square, Mc Nemar’s test, odds ratio, relative risk

Correlation, Linear Regression, Multiple Regression

Nonparametric tests – sign test, Wilcoxon test, Kruskal Wallis, Rank Correlation

SPSS labs

CIA 1: 20 marks

CIA 2: 25 Marks

Class participation & Attendance: 5 marks

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with an overall CIA mark of 25/50 to pass the course.

This course provides students with an opportunity to learn new concepts and skills and further develop concepts and skills acquired in core courses. The course is specifically intended to meet the needs of students planning a career in Psycho-oncology. However, the flexible design of the course accommodates students having diverse career plans and interests. Students will review and present research articles that can help broaden their understanding of the field and keep themselves up to date with evidence-based practices in the field of psycho-oncology.

 Reviewing and presenting articles in psycho-oncology and discussing the merits, demerits, significance, and implication of these articles in a scientific manner.

CIA 1: 20 marks

CIA 2: 25 Marks

Class participation & Attendance: 5 marks

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with an overall CIA mark of 25/50 to pass the course.

This course gives a foundation for counselling, the basic theoretical orientation towards different schools of thoughts in counselling. Different philosophical, sociological and psychological foundations for counselling will be discussed in this course. The theoretical understanding of counselling across settings, differences in the application of counselling in psychiatric and health care settings, the theoretical basis of counselling with chronic and life-limiting conditions will be discussed.

Concept of counselling; the difference between guidance, counselling and psychotherapy; Development of the profession of counselling: historical perspective and the stages; Relevance of counselling in different settings; perspectives of counselling in different specialities.

Philosophical foundations of counselling: dignity and value of individual; Sociological foundations: Social development, socialization, social approval, and social milieu; Psychological foundations of counselling: Psychoanalytic perspectives, Behaviouristic perspective, Humanistic and existential perspective; Cognitive and social perspective; Eclectic approach to counselling.

Ethical and legal issues in counselling, licensing in India and abroad, ethical dilemmas in counselling, advance care directives, living will. Ethicality in decision making and the role of surrogates, Ethical issues in Online counselling.

Counselling for diverse groups; Supervision- personal and professional; Group counselling: theories, techniques and skills, brief counselling, trauma and bereavement counselling, Supportive counselling, Grief counselling, Technological advances in counselling, Online counselling

Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA)

CIA 1: 30 marks

CIA 2: 30 Marks

Class participation: 5 marks

Attendance: 5 marks

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with a minimum overall CIA mark of 33/65 including class participation marks, to be eligible to write the ESE.

End Semester Examination (ESE)

The passing grade for the ESE is 40%

An overall grade of 50% is required to pass the course. (CIA+ESE)

Course Description:

This course introduces trainee helping professionals to human growth and development across the lifespan, focusing on typical and atypical development, major milestones and life cycle stages. Students will gain an enhanced knowledge of the stages and domains of human development. We will examine major theories and approaches in physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development and emphasize the interdependence of all domains of development. We will also discuss the impact of chronic illness, adverse life events and developmental challenges individuals' face in the life cycle stage and its effects on growth and development. The lifespan developmental perspective provides students with a foundation to conceptualize and apply developmental theory and research, emphasizing its usefulness in answering questions that address changes in an individuals' health and wellbeing.

The study of human development; Biological foundations: heredity-environment correlations- twin studies, genetic influences, prenatal development, birth, physical milestones, and changes including growth spurts, puberty, brain development; critical and sensitive periods, the pattern of physical development; Challenges for cognitive and psycho-social development, the role of nutrition, poverty, illness, lifestyle and disability on development across the lifespan.

Cognitive development- Piaget and Vygotsky; Moral development and reasoning-Kohlberg and Gilligan; Development of identity- Erickson and Marcia, emerging adults-Arnett, positive youth development model, adolescent risk behaviour; Gender development and gender role socialization; the role of culture, play, education, and peers on development across the lifespan.

Emotional regulation and dysregulation, temperament, attachment theories and styles- Bowlby, Ainsworth, factors that affect attachment, adult attachment patterns and relationship- Shaver and Fraley, Sternberg; Caregiving and parenting-Baumrind; Social contexts of lifespan development-Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystems model, the role of family patterns, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), resilience on development across the lifespan.

Adult developmental tasks- Havighurst; Life stages-Levinson, quarter and mid-life crisis, sexuality and menopause; Gains and losses in later adult life, biological and social theories of ageing, positive and successful ageing

Death, understanding of death and causes for death across the life span, grief, mourning and bereavement, facing one's death, coping with death and dying- Kubler Ross; Cultural issues; Dying with dignity- palliative care and hospice care.

Broderick, P.C., & Blewitt, P. (2010). The life span: Human development for helping professionals. (3rd Ed.). Pearson.

Santrock, J.W. (2011). A topical approach to lifespan development. Tata McGraw-Hill Edition.

Papalia, D.E., Olds, S.W. & Feldman, R.D. (2017). Human Development (Ninth Edition). Tata McGraw-Hill

Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA)

CIA 1: 30 marks

CIA 2: 30 Marks

Class participation: 5 marks

Attendance: 5 marks

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with a minimum overall CIA mark of 33/65 including class participation marks, to be eligible to write the ESE.

End Semester Examination (ESE)

The passing grade for the ESE is 40%

An overall grade of 50% is required to pass the course. (CIA+ESE)

The course on ‘Neurobiological Basis of Cognition, Affect and Behaviour’ orients the student to the Neurobiological understanding of human behaviour, emotion, and cognition. This course is offered in the first semester and introduces the student to the Human Nervous system and the neurophysiological underpinnings of psychological processes. This course is also designed to help the learner apply this understanding to the field of Health Psychology

The biological approach to behaviour, affect and learning; Basic structure of the nervous system; The cells of the nervous system: Neurons, Glia, The blood-brain barrier; The Nerve Impulse: The resting potential, The Action Potential; Synapses: Properties of Synapses, The role of Neurotransmitters

The physiological basis of the biological clock; Stages of Sleep; The physiological basis of Hunger; The physiological Basis of Thirst; The physiological Basis of Reproductive Behaviours; Implications of the physiological bases of human behaviour in the field of Health Psychology.

Emotions and autonomic arousal; The functions of emotions; The physiological basis of aggression; The physiological basis of fear and anxiety; The role of stress on health; Implications of the physiological bases of human affect in the field of Health Psychology

The Neurophysiological Basis of Learning and Memory: The role of the hippocampus; Intelligence; Language; Lateralization; Understanding circuitry pathways of the brain; Implications of the physiological bases of human cognition in the field of Health Psychology.

Kolb, B., & Whishaw, I. Q. (2019). An Introduction to brain and behavior (6th ed.). Worth. 

End semester examination (ESE) - 30%   

Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA)

CIA 1: 30 marks

CIA 2: 30 Marks

Class participation: 5 marks

Attendance: 5 marks 

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with a minimum overall CIA mark of 33/65 including class participation marks, to be eligible to write the ESE. 

End Semester Examination (ESE)

The passing grade for the ESE is 40%

An overall grade of 50% is required to pass the course. (CIA+ESE)

Professional health psychologists require a working knowledge of research skills in specific application to health and health care. This course provides an introduction to research in healthcare. The course will include both qualitative and quantitative research methods, using examples of research across a range of areas in health. Students will be introduced to the most common research designs used in health care service, evaluation and public health. This course will be followed by an advanced course in Evidence-based research in health and wellness in the second semester, building upon the foundations laid in this course. This course will be supplemented by the course Biostatistics as well as the course in Ethics offered in the current semester.

Foundations of Health Research

Qualitative and Quantitative methods

The Research Process

Formulation of Research Questions

Sampling Methods, Recruitment Procedures and External Validity

Experimental Designs and Randomized Controlled Trials (Intervention Studies)

Surveys and Quasi-Experimental Designs

Single Case (n=1) Designs

Epidemiological Research Observational Research ( Case-Control studies, Case - Crossover studies)

Cohort Studies (Cross-Sectional studies, Ecological studies)

Qualitative Research

Questionnaires and Survey Designs

Mixed Methods

Interviewing Techniques

Measurement and Observation.

Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA)

CIA 1: 30 marks

CIA 2: 30 Marks

Class participation: 5 marks

Attendance: 5 marks

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with a minimum overall CIA mark of 33/65 including class participation marks, to be eligible to write the ESE.

End Semester Examination (ESE)

The passing grade for the ESE is 40%

An overall grade of 50% is required to pass the course. (CIA+ESE)

To provide students with foundational knowledge and skills in ethical and professional behaviour that will enable them to competently reflect upon, address and resolve the socio-cultural issues that students will confront during their training and professional practice. This ethics course involves teaching rudimentary knowledge and skills in ethical theory and practice in health care  

The history and development of clinical ethics; modern research ethics, codes and guidelines; role of religion in ethics – Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism;  culture and bioethics

Indian law and its implication on clinical practice and research; Disparity in health, health care and access to health; Disparity in resource allocation for health -macro, meso and micro levels, public health policy and resource allocation; ethical analysis of policies

IRB and its functions; ethical issues in health care; vulnerable populations, risks and benefits; authorship; contemporary issues in research ethics

Functions of a clinical ethics committee; ethical issues at the end of life; ethical issues at the beginning of life; reproductive medicine and ethics; euthanasia; professionalism.

2.     Tom L Beauchamp, James F Childress. (2008) Principles of Biomedical Ethics.

3.     

Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA)

CIA 1: 30 marks

CIA 2: 30 Marks

Class participation: 5 marks

Attendance: 5 marks

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with a minimum overall CIA mark of 33/65 including class participation marks, to be eligible to write the ESE.

End Semester Examination (ESE)

The passing grade for the ESE is 40%

An overall grade of 50% is required to pass the course. (CIA+ESE)

In this course students will engage in supervised community service for 15 hours during the semester. Students are encouraged to work on any health care issue in the community and develop and implement a module for health promotion. Reflections on their interactions are an integral part of this course. Student engagement will be assessed by a supervisor.

Students in small groups may either partner with various NGO’s and organizations working in health care or identify a need in the community on their own. They will have to develop modules to increase awareness of a targeted health issue and deploy this in the community. Students will gain hands-on experiences in working with various issues in the community.

Reflection is a core component of community service. It is a period of critical thinking performed by the student and is based on a specific or overall experience of the student. It guides students towards greater personal development by coming to a better understanding of their own values, opinions, and assumptions. The types of reflection which can be used are, class discussion, brainstorming, sharing of critical personal and group incidents and so on. The students are expected to submit a report at the end of this course using the following guidelines. Reason for choosing the particular health issue • Stakeholders/beneficiaries • The planning phase of community service initiatives • Logistics for the initiative of the action • Execution of the action initiative • Specific learning outcome • Impact assessment/Evaluation 

CIA 1: 10 marks

CIA 2: 15 Marks

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. 

The primary goal of this two-credit course is to provide the students support to develop a clear and concise research proposal that addresses an important health care issue. The research proposal is expected to be converted into a project which is then converted into a manuscript and ready for publication by the end of the third semester of their programme. Each student is attached to a faculty advisor who holds the lab once a week with a  group of students attached to him/her/them. This course is followed by Research lab 2 in the third semester and the Manuscript and Publication course in the final semester of the programme. Students are encouraged to present their key research ideas in the form of poster presentations in colloquia organized by the Department of Psychology in association with health care centres. The course will use a seminar format and dwell on peer feedback and faculty supervision. This is not a lecture-based course.

Choosing research questions based on evidence

C.A.R.S model

Literature review

Choosing Research design based on evidence

Consultation skills

Informed consent

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) and CHRIST University Code of research Conduct and Ethics

Scientific poster

Selecting journals for manuscript publication

Publication ethics, predatory publishing

Community of Publication Ethics (COPE)

Indexing agencies, Impact Factor and publication indices

 Aveyard, H. (2014) Doing a Literature Review in Health and Social Care: A Practical Guide. 3rd edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education,

Ballenger, B, P.(2015) The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers. 8th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson

Yagoda, B. (2013) How to Not Write Bad: The Most Common Writing Problems and the Best Ways to Avoid Them. New York: Riverhead Books.

Turabian, K. L. (2018) A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers. 9th edition. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

CIA 1: 20 marks

CIA 2: 25 Marks

Class participation & Attendance: 5 marks

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with an overall CIA mark of 25/50 to pass the course.

The Journal club is a student-driven and faculty-supervised mandatory activity. Each student in the programme will choose a published empirical article in the area of health psychology or health care from a journal available in the University library and preferably indexed in PubMed. The students will present the article in turns weekly and facilitate a group discussion of the article. A research  blog will be created on the Learning Management System of the University (Moodle) and the blog will be open till the end of the week. The student presenting the article must make article available for the class to read a week in advance after gaining approval of the instructor, and all students  will  place their critical views of the article in the discussion thread prior to the journal club meeting.

Critical evaluation and presentation of an empirical article in the area of and health care.

CIA 1: 10 marks

CIA2: 15 Marks

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA

This course introduces students to various aspects of Clinical Psycho-oncology. It is aimed at giving students an understanding of what actually goes on in psycho-oncology practice. It will involve a series of lectures from practitioners in the field. This course is meant to enhance their professional development as they work to becoming practising psycho-oncologists

 Guest lectures by experts in the field of  Psycho- oncology

CIA1: 10 marks

CIA2: 15 marks

A must-pass assessment with a passing grade of 50%. 

This course introduces students to the various systems of the body. A basic understanding of how the body works is essential to understand health, diseases and how a health psycho- oncologist can contribute to the health and wellness of clients.

T

Endocrine System: Overview, Adrenal Glands, Other Glands, Disorders involving the Endocrine System – Diabetes, Role of the health psychologist.

Digestive System: Overview, Functioning of the Digestive System, Related Diseases – GI diseases, IBS, Role of the health psychologist.

Cardiovascular System:  Overview, Structure and Functions – The Heart and Blood Vessels, Blood Pressure, Related Diseases - CHD, Role of the health psychologist

Respiratory System: Overview, Structure and Functions, Related Diseases, Role of the health psychologist

Renal System: Overview, Structure and Functions, Related Diseases – Kidney Disease, Role of the health psychologist

Reproductive System: Overview, The Ovaries and Testes, Fertilization and Gestation, Disorders of the Reproductive System – Infertility, PCOS, Role of the health psychologist

Immune System: Overview, Infection, the course of infection, Antigens and Immunity, Disorders related to the Immune system.  Role of the health psychologist

Nervous System:  Overview, Related Disorders – Epilepsy, Paralysis, Dementia, Role of the Health Psychologist

Genetics and Health; Overview, Genetics and Susceptibility to Disorders

End semester examination (ESE) - 30%   

Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA)

CIA 1: 30 marks

CIA 2: 30 Marks

Class participation: 5 marks

Attendance: 5 marks 

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with a minimum overall CIA mark of 33/65 including class participation marks, to be eligible to write the ESE. 

End Semester Examination (ESE)

The passing grade for the ESE is 40%

An overall grade of 50% is required to pass the course. (CIA+ESE)

Cancer is defined as uncontrollable cell growth.  The complexities of the causes and the different types of cells that give rise to this disease have underscored the need for a better understanding of the basic biology of cancer.   Advancements in basic and biomedical research have led to more effective treatments, enhanced detection methods, and better prevention strategies.  This course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the biology and pathology of cancer.  This course will explore the role of mutations in cancer cells, and how they lead to the dysregulation of essential biological properties like programmed cell death, cell proliferation and differentiation.   Classical treatment methods will be compared with newer treatment strategies like targeted therapies.  This course will also explore the challenges associated with diagnosing cancers, as well as ways in which to prevent cancer.  The ever-expanding role of “omics” and bioinformatics in areas such as tumor classification, prognosis and treatment will also be discussed.

Cancer definition

Overview of the hallmarks of cancer
Mutagens, carcinogens, and mutations
Tumor viruses and the discovery of oncogenes
Tumor cells possess genetic abnormalities
Mechanisms of oncogene activation
Role of growth factors and receptors in carcinogenesis
RAS signalling in cancer
Familial cancer syndromes and the discovery of tumor suppressors

Cell cycle control and the pRb tumor suppressor

Apoptosis and the p53 tumor suppressor

Cellular senescence

Telomeres, cellular immortalization, and tumorigenesis

Multi-step tumorigenesis and the evolution of cancer

Tumor-promoting  stimuli

Cancer stem cell

DNA repair mechanisms

DNA repair defects and their relationship to cancer

Angiogenesis

Metastasis

Tumor Immunology

Cancer cell metabolism

Treatment- traditional chemotherapeutics

Treatment- Immunotherapies

Treatment-targeted therapy.

New Genomic and proteomic technologies

Applications of new technologies in prevention, assessing risk, diagnostics, and treatment.

Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA)

CIA 1: 30 marks

CIA 2: 30 Marks

Class participation: 5 marks

Attendance: 5 marks

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with a minimum overall CIA mark of 33/65 including class participation marks, to be eligible to write the ESE.

End Semester Examination (ESE)

The passing grade for the ESE is 40%

An overall grade of 50% is required to pass the course. (CIA+ESE)

This course will introduce students to mental health issues normally found in general health care. The course will address issues of comorbidity, common mental health issues found across populations seeking general health services.

 Clinical Assessment for Psychiatric symptoms, Mental Status Examination, Safety Assessments

Capacity evaluation and Informed consent

Psychiatric Emergencies: Delirium, Agitation, Catatonia, Intoxication, overdose and withdrawal, suicide.

Anxiety, Dementia, Depression, Disordered eating behaviours, Dissociation, Mania, Obsessions and Compulsions,

 Personality disorders, problems with sexual function and behaviours, psychosis, sleep disorders,

unexplained medical symptoms

Psychopharmacology, Somatic Treatments, Psychotherapeutic treatments.

End semester examination (ESE) - 30%   

Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA)

CIA 1: 30 marks

CIA 2: 30 Marks

Class participation: 5 marks

Attendance: 5 marks 

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with a minimum overall CIA mark of 33/65 including class participation marks, to be eligible to write the ESE. 

End Semester Examination (ESE)

The passing grade for the ESE is 40%

An overall grade of 50% is required to pass the course. (CIA+ESE)

This course gives the students an opportunity to examine the foundations and application of evidence-based practices in healthcare.

Writing focused clinical questions.

Planning steps to locate relevant evidence

Searching for evidence in databases

Evidence-based point of care resources

Recording search strategies

Organising relevant evidence

Types of diagnostic procedures

Diagnostic tool selection factors

Diagnostic guidelines, algorithms, and standards of care

Diagnostic biostatistics

Treatment research

Treatment selection

Studies of harm

Studies of prevention

Biostatistics In the treatment of harm and prevention

Appraising trustworthiness of quantitative evidence

Synthesising evidence: systematic reviews, meta-analysis and preference analysis

Structure of a quantitative research report

comparison of quantitative and qualitative research evidence

Appraising trustworthiness of qualitative research

critical analysis of qualitative study

implementation and evaluation

Jolley, J. (2013). Introducing Research and Evidence-Based Practice for Nursing and Healthcare Professionals (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315846996

APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice. Evidence-based practice in psychology. Am Psychol. 2006 May-Jun;61(4):271-85. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.61.4.271. PMID: 16719673.       

Drake, R. E., Merrens, M. R., & Lynde, D. W. (Eds.). (2005). Evidence-based mental health practice: A textbook. W. W. Norton & Company.

End semester examination (ESE) - 30%   

Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA)

CIA 1: 30 marks

CIA 2: 30 Marks

Class participation: 5 marks

Attendance: 5 marks 

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with a minimum overall CIA mark of 33/65 including class participation marks, to be eligible to write the ESE. 

End Semester Examination (ESE)

The passing grade for the ESE is 40%

An overall grade of 50% is required to pass the course. (CIA+ESE)

This course provides an opportunity for students to practise counselling and communication skills (under supervision) required while working in health care settings with patients, family members and significant others. Based on communication models in psychology, this course is hands-on and experiential and used competence- mastery training model in a lab setting.

Doctor-Patient Communication

Information gathering and clinical reasoning

Self-care strategies

Multicultural counselling competence

Relationship building

Listening to stories about illness and health

Listening skills (Basic listening sequence: Attending skills, Paraphrase,)

Responding to emotions (Empathy, Reflection of feelings, reflection of meaning, reframing structuring)

Solution focussed brief therapy skills

Communicating about ethical dilemmas

Communicating about risk and uncertainty

Working with infertility

Breaking bad news in health care settings

Conveying  the diagnosis

Facilitating Behaviour Change through Motivational Interviewing

Responding to medical error and complaints

Counselling and Communication Skills for Medical and Health Practitioners.(1998). Bayne, R., Nicolson, P., & Horton, I (Eds). United Kingdom, Wiley. 

End semester examination (ESE) - 30%   

Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA)

CIA 1: 30 marks

CIA 2: 30 Marks

Class participation: 5 marks

Attendance: 5 marks 

All CIAs are must pass assessments with a passing grade of 50%. If a student does not meet the passing grade for CIA, s/he will have to repeat the CIA again before moving to the next CIA. The student must pass all the CIA components with an overall CIA mark of 38/70 to be eligible to write the ESE. 

End Semester Examination (ESE)

The passing grade for the ESE is 40%

An overall grade of 50% is required to pass the course. (CIA+ESE)