How we educate students in the first two years of medical school is ch
anging at many institutions. Effective medical education should be vie
wed as a continuum, integration of the basic sciences and clinical med
icine should occur throughout the curriculum, and self-directed, life-
long learning should be emphasized, Curricular revision may be appropr
iate if these fundamental concepts are absent, The principles of three
curricular models ape discussed: traditional, problem-based, and syst
ems-oriented, The ideal curriculum may draw from each of these: A trul
y integrated curriculum. However, the curricular model chosen must mee
t the needs of the institution anal its students. As anatomists we sho
uld not shy away from this process of change. With progressive educati
onal approaches, we can be leaders in this climate of curricular refor
m, Anatomy courses are laboratory based and the laboratory is an outst
anding small group, faculty/student interactive opportunity. However,
we must show flexibility and innovation in our educational approaches
whatever the curricular design being proposed. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, In
c.