Online teaching methods - Are they replacement or supplement to the conventional teaching methods?

Introduction: Online learning in medical education is a relatively new concept for Indian Institutions and in current COVID-19 pandemic this type of teaching has been implemented in each and every medical institution as classroom teaching is not feasible due to lockdown of schools and colleges. Aim and Objective: To analyse various online teaching methods and to compare them with traditional teaching methods. Material and Method: In crucial time of COVID-19 pandemic when there were no other options of teaching to medical students were available e-learning was started and feedback from 250 undergraduate students (2^nd MBBS) taken up over google classroom using a preframed questionnaire on online teaching. Results and Discussion: Whether online teaching is a substitute or additive to traditional teaching method, 73.5% students responded that this is additive whereas 26.5% answered it as replacement to existing teaching methods. 94.7% students insisted that if online teaching is combined with day to day assessment it becomes more effective. Summary and Conclusion: e-learning cannot be the replacement of the conventional teaching methods, rather this can be used as the supplementary method for teaching in medical education.