Undergraduate curriculum reform in Saudi medical schools - Which directionto go?

Curriculum reform in undergraduate medical education is quite essential for the success of the educational process. Saudi medical schools have been in volved in curriculum reform over the past 2 decades, Review of the existing literature identifies the following as problems with today's curriculum in cluding: Overcrowding of the curriculum, over presentation of some subjects , presence of relatively non-relevant subjects, dissociation between basic and clinical sciences, repetition of lectures and exams, need for new subje cts of clinical relevance, predominantly hospital based medical education w ith minimal community-based practice, as well as non-optimal use of resourc es. The authors put forth suggestions for reform of the current curriculum to meet today's problems and future demands.