Introduction

Managing a highly specialized and decentralized academic program like the DNB (Diplomate of National Board) at Aster MIMS poses unique challenges. Unlike traditional academic institutions where batches comprise 50 to 100 students, each department in the DNB program typically manages 1 to 4 students per batch across multiple specialties and schedules. To address these complexities, Primal Codes Technologies developed a DNB Management Portal, a tailored solution designed to streamline operations, improve access to critical information, and enhance the academic experience for students and faculty.

Challenges

1. Decentralized Student Management:

   • Each department has only a few students, making it difficult to standardize workflows.
   • Different schedules and activities across departments require customized planning.

2. Busy Department Heads and Guides:

   • Faculty members are often leading practitioners with limited availability for administrative tasks.
   • Coordinating reviews, approvals, and feedback is time-consuming.

3. Fragmented Student Information:

   • Lack of a centralized platform to consolidate student details, academic records, and activity logs.
   • Hospitals typically lack features tailored for managing academic programs.

4. Leave and Attendance Management:

   • Tracking student leave and attendance manually leads to errors and inefficiencies.

5. Notifications for Asynchronous Schedules:

   • Coordinating schedules and notifying students across departments with varied timelines is challenging.

6. Government Registration and Renewals:

   • Ensuring timely registration and renewal processes for students with government boards adds administrative overhead.

7. Academic Resources:

   • Students need easy access to:
     • Previous year question papers.
     • Updates on new regulations or academic guidelines.
     • Archives of previous theses and publications.

Solution

The DNB Management Portal was developed as a comprehensive solution addressing these specific pain points:

1. Centralized Student Information:

   • A unified platform consolidates all student details, academic progress, and activity logs.
   • Students, faculty, and administrators can access complete profiles on demand.

2. Customizable Scheduling:

   • Flexible scheduling tools tailored for individual departments and students.
   • Automated reminders for department heads and guides to reduce manual follow-ups.

3. Streamlined Leave and Attendance Management:

   • Automated leave application and approval workflows.
   • Real-time tracking of attendance with detailed reports for faculty and administrators.

4. Efficient Notifications:

   • Automated notifications for key activities such as thesis submissions, exams, clinical clubs, and renewals.
   • Mobile and email alerts ensure students and faculty stay informed.

5. Support for Government Compliance:

   • Tools to track deadlines and ensure timely submission of registration and renewal documents.

6. Comprehensive Academic Resources:

   • Digital library for:
     • Previous years' question papers.
     • Archived theses for reference.
     • Latest academic updates and guidelines.

7. Faculty Dashboard:

   • Simplified interfaces for department heads and guides to manage approvals, feedback, and evaluations efficiently.

Results

1. Improved Efficiency:

   • Administrative workload reduced by 60%.
   • Faster turnaround for approvals and feedback.

2. Enhanced Accessibility:

   • Students and faculty can access consolidated information and academic resources anytime, anywhere.

3. Error Reduction:

   • Automated leave and attendance tracking significantly reduced manual errors.

4. Better Compliance:

   • Government registration and renewals are now handled on time, avoiding penalties or delays.

5. Student Satisfaction:

   • Easy access to critical resources like previous question papers and theses improved academic preparedness.

Feedback

• Faculty:

  • "The portal has made it easier to manage approvals and track student progress without impacting our clinical schedules."

• Students:

  • "Having all resources and updates in one place has saved us so much time and effort."

• Administrators:

  • "The centralized system has transformed how we handle scheduling and notifications."

Conclusion

The DNB Management Portal has addressed the unique challenges of managing small, decentralized student batches across multiple specialties. By automating workflows, consolidating information, and improving accessibility, the portal has enhanced both efficiency and the academic experience. Its success at Aster MIMS highlights the potential for similar solutions in other institutions facing comparable challenges.