Background: There has been an abundant flow of information written abo
ut problem-based curricula in the basic sciences. However, there is li
ttle collective information about its use in the clinical setting. Thi
s article reviews the literature concerning the implementation of prob
lem-based learning (PBL) in the clinical setting and draws conclusions
regarding its misconceptions and feasibility. Summary: The authors fo
und numerous articles that described PBL programs in undergraduate, gr
aduate, and continuing medical education, but only a handful met the c
riteria outlined in Barrows' taxonomy of PBL. Many programs produced i
nteresting innovations in clinical education, but they should not be l
abeled PBL. Conclusions: When writing about PBL, authors should descri
be how their program fits or departs from a PBL taxonomy and provide e
nough detail to permit others to replicate it. In addition, there rema
ins a dire need for more experimental studies to warrant the extensive
use of problem-based learning in the clinical setting.