Integrating Biomedical And Clinical Pedagogical Approaches Of Ayurveda In Competency Based Medical Education

Abstract

Background: Ayurveda established foundational frameworks for formal medical education millennia ago through its classical treatises, collectively known as the Brihatrayi. While India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 advocates for the integration of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) into mainstream curricula, a standardized pedagogical model remains absent. Modern biomedical education currently relies predominantly on Western theoretical lenses, marginalizing these sophisticated indigenous instructional frameworks.

Material and Methods: This qualitative scoping review employed a comparative textual analysis of primary classical texts (Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and Ashtanga Samgraha) alongside modern educational psychology and public policy documents. Data was systematically extracted from specific chapters delineating teaching methodologies, dialectic reasoning, and clinical skill acquisition.

Results: The analysis reveals a comprehensive, systems-based educational model highly congruent with modern Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME). The foundational structural trinity—Shastra (subject matter), Acharya (educator), and Shishya (learner)—is strictly evaluated for academic and behavioral prerequisites. Furthermore, ancient functional pedagogies directly parallel contemporary methods: Tadvidya Sambhasha mirrors problem-based and dialectic learning, Yogya Vidhi correlates with simulation-based psychomotor training, and the Guru-Shishya model reflects immersive workplace-based learning.

Conclusion: The Brihatrayi offers a robust, scientific, and culturally grounded instructional framework structurally adaptable to modern medical curricula. Formal recognition and integration of these indigenous pedagogical constructs support the NEP 2020 vision, serving to decolonize educational frameworks while cultivating clinicians endowed with both advanced technical dexterity and profound ethical integrity.