A community based, patient-centred, longitudinal medical curriculum

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Rural Health
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• The School of Rural Health was established in 2000 by the Australian Commonwealth Government, University of New South Wales, and Greater Murray Area Health Service.
• Its primary goal is to address the shortage of doctors in rural areas through targeted recruitment and retention strategies.
• The school delivers half of the clinical component of a six-year undergraduate medical program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the educational philosophies and methodologies behind a novel community-based, patient-centered, longitudinal medical education approach.
• To share experiences from the initial implementation of this rural medical curriculum.
• To provide recommendations for the future development and adaptation of the program.

Main Methods:

• Development of a community-based, patient-centered, longitudinal medical education curriculum.
• Implementation of the curriculum within a rural health setting.
• Synopsis of experiences and evaluation of the initial curriculum rollout.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive medical education program was developed and implemented in a rural setting.
• The curriculum focuses on a patient-centered, longitudinal approach, integrating community-based learning.
• Initial implementation provided valuable data and experiences for refinement.

Conclusions:

• The developed curriculum effectively addresses the need for rural medical training.
• The community-based, patient-centered model is adaptable for both rural and urban medical education settings.
• Recommendations are provided for ongoing curriculum enhancement and broader implementation.