Development and implementation of a cardiovascular system course at the International Medical College: a new innovation in medical education

Abstract

The International Medical College (IMC) was established in Kuala Lumpur in 1993 in partnership with several established medical schools, to provide a preclinical curriculum for students before they complete their clinical training in the partner schools.The curriculum is system based and multidisciplinary with an emphasis on problem-based learning. This paper describes the planning and implementation of the cardiovascular system course at the IMC.The development of the course matrix was defined in terms of the weekly themes and course content with the Study Guide providing an interface between the curriculum planners and the students.The timetable of learning experiences included the plenary sessions, practicals, small-group learning, clinical skills and hospital experiences. The strengths and weaknesses of the first iteration of this course at the IMC are discussed and reviewed in relation to the performance of students on their final examinations and their evaluation of the presentation of the course.