Construct a Problem-based Course

This article outlines the preparation of an integrated, problem-based course as followed by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Newcastle, New South Wales. The policy and philosophy of the school, and the cardiovascular system course unit will be outlined in subsequent issues of this journal (Neame 1981, Powis and Neame 1981). The keys to successful course construction are faculty emphasis on the tasks to be achieved rather than on the disciplines themselves, coherent statements of policy and objectives which staff view as at least as important as those of their own disciplines, and a willingness to communicate, negotiate and be flexible. Students at the end of their third year were considered to be at least as competent as those from conventional curricula and excelled in some areas. A recent unpublished survey of the full-time academic staff revealed a high level of commitment to the goals of the course and satisfaction with the procedures involved.