title: Education in family and community health: the challenge faced by a new medical school.
abstract: This paper describes the efforts of the Department of Family and Community Health at Sultan Qaboos University in providing opportunities for the development of 'hands-on' problem-solving skills appropriate for Oman. The curriculum of the Department is discussed, highlighting the unusual emphasis of this discipline in both the preclinical and clinical curriculum of the College of Medicine. The importance of continuous assessment and supervision of students is discussed. Course-work in the preclinical curriculum of the Department is kept to a minimum. Field-work forms an important part of preclinical training, where application and problem-based learning are emphasized. During the clinical years the students are exposed to an integrated series of lectures and practicals covering core knowledge in clinical medicine. Practical clinical training, over a total period of 15 weeks, takes place at a variety of sites where common problems in primary health care in Oman are handled by students under supervision.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Health, College of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Linder
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003154:Community Medicine / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005192:Family Health; D009850:Oman; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods