Graduate entry medicine: curriculum considerations

Abstract

Graduates entering medicine need to achieve the same learning outcomes as school leaver medical students in less time. Time is not the only consideration, and rather than just compress five-year courses into a four-year time-frame, curriculum planners have often taken the opportunity to introduce innovations for small cohorts as schools begin these new programmes. This article considers how the particular needs of graduate entrants can be met by UK medical curricula and reviews accumulating evidence around the design considerations, especially that of problem-based learning. Graduate entry courses have been at the forefront of curriculum planning for new professionalism in doctors.