Curriculum change in the 1980s. A report of 40 southern US medical schools

Forty southern medical schools were surveyed to evaluate the nature and mechanisms of curricular change during 1980 to 1983. Ninety percent of schools experienced change in some aspect of curriculum. Faculty, curriculum committees, the dean, and external forces were stimuli for change. Internal self-review or self-criticism seemed to be the most important reasons for change. Proposals were considered by curriculum committees and the dean, but veto power often rested with the dean, although departmental chairmen and faculty occasionally had veto power. Types of change were divided equally between content, timing of courses, and the educational process. Half the schools stated that they had evaluated the changes or planned to do so. Thirteen of 38 changes in curriculum were in the direction of curricular innovations of the 1960s and 1970s and 25 were in the opposite direction.