ANATOMY EDUCATION IN A CHANGING MEDICAL CURRICULUM

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.