The integrated curriculum in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 96

Abstract

The popularity of the term “integrated curriculum” has grown immensely in medical education over the last two decades, but what does this term mean and how do we go about its design, implementation, and evaluation? Definitions and application of the term vary greatly in the literature, spanning from the integration of content within a single lecture to the integration of a medical school's comprehensive curriculum. Taking into account the integrated curriculum's historic and evolving base of knowledge and theory, its support from many national medical education organizations, and the ever-increasing body of published examples, we deem it necessary to present a guide to review and promote further development of the integrated curriculum movement in medical education with an international perspective. We introduce the history and theory behind integration and provide theoretical models alongside published examples of common variations of an integrated curriculum. In addition, we identify three areas of particular need when developing an ideal integrated curriculum, leading us to propose the use of a new, clarified definition of “integrated curriculum”, and offer a review of strategies to evaluate the impact of an integrated curriculum on the learner. This Guide is presented to assist educators in the design, implementation, and evaluation of a thoroughly integrated medical school curriculum.

Notes on contributors

david brauer, MD, is a Resident Physician, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri. His interests include mentorship in medical education and examining international differences in healthcare systems and education. He performed this research at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and the Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri.

kristi ferguson, PhD, is a Professor of General Internal Medicine, Director of the Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education, and Program Director for the Masters in Medical Education degree at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa. Her research interests include validity studies for assessment tools, identifying strategies for evaluating higher-order thinking skills, and determining predictive validity of students' performance in small group settings for their future clinical skills.

Acknowledgements

Authors thank Mikael Wirén, MD, PhD, Professor of Surgery, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden, and many individuals at the Office for Student Affairs and Curriculum, University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no declarations of interest.