Identifying the core curriculum: the Liverpool approach

Abstract

As medical schools in the United Kingdom revise their undergraduate curricula in response to the General Medical Council's recommendations, a variety of models for the identification of core content are emerging. This paper describes elements of the approach being adopted in Liverpool where a problem-based and community-orientated course is being developed for introduction in 1996. The new five-year course is divided into three phases with problem-based learning throughout the first four years. The curriculum in phase 2 (years 2–4) follows the human life cycle with students revisiting material introduced in phase 1 (year 1), Phase 3 is an intensive clinical year emphasizing clinical management and incorporating day release to prepare students for postgraduate study. The faculty have adopted an objective-driven, iterative method using small groups of staff to identify core content.