Integrated Medical Curriculum: Design, Delivery and Assessment during First Two Years of Medical Education - A Review at AJK Medical College, Muzaffarabad, Pakistan

Abstract

The popularity of the term ‘‘integrated curriculum’’ has greatly increased in medical education in past twenty years, but what the term actually implies and what should be its design, implementation, and evaluation system, is still evolving. Integration means to resolve and remove the subject and curriculum difficulties so that students can get better learning opportunities for development of relevant and meaningful knowledge, being well learned, retrievable, as a part of an ongoing lifelong learning process. It is necessary to further review and improve the integrated curriculum in medical education according to international demands. In addition, we need to evaluate the impact of an integrated curriculum on the learner particularly in first and second years of medical education. The exploding knowledge, fragmented teaching schedules, concerns about curriculum relevancy, and a lack of coordination and relationships among disciplines have all been cited as reasons for a move towards an integrated curriculum. This Guide is presented to assist educators in learning, implementation, and evaluation of a thoroughly integrated medical college curriculum particularly during first two years of medical education of students.