Changing face of medical curricula

The changing role of medicine in society and the growing expectations patients have of their doctors means that the content and delivery of medical curricula also have to change. The focus of health care has shifted from episodic care of individuals in hospitals to promotion of health in the community, and from paternalism and anecdotal care to negotiated management based on evidence of effectiveness and safety. Medical training is becoming more student centred, with an emphasis on active learning rather than on the passive acquisition of knowledge, and on the assessment of clinical competence rather than on the ability to retain and recall unrelated facts. Rigid educational programmes are giving way to more adaptable and flexible ones, in which student feedback and patient participation have increasingly important roles. The implementation of sustained innovation in medical education continues to present challenges, especially in terms of providing institutional and individual incentives. However, a continuously evolving, high quality medical education system is needed to assure the continued delivery of high quality medicine.