Developing a competency-based preventive medicine curriculum for medical schools

Trends in patient morbidity and mortality, cost-effectiveness, and national recommendations mandate that we practice more preventive medicine. To address this need, we set out to develop a comprehensive curriculum in preventive medicine for medical schools. We constructed a competency-based (i.e., performance-based) curriculum with specific educational objectives defined by outcomes. Subject areas were subdivided by life stages, and learning objectives were created separately for epidemiology, assessment, and intervention. We hope that adoption of such an educational blueprint by medical schools will measurably enhance the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary for the incorporation of preventive principles into all aspects of clinical medicine.