The Flinders experiment in medical education revisited.
OBJECTIVE
The undergraduate medical curriculum of the Flinders University of South Australia is reviewed and evaluated against American recommendations for the basic education of doctors practising in the 21st century.


METHODS
Two previous articles in The Medical Journal of Australia describing earlier versions of the Flinders curriculum and the report on General Professional Education for the Physician of the Association of American Medical Colleges.


RESULTS
The Flinders curriculum attempts to fully integrate the teaching of medical science and clinical disciplines. The earliest version of the curriculum emphasised horizontal integration of normal structure and function of body systems, followed by abnormalities of these systems, and finally clinical practice. The second version introduced vertical integration of basic science and clinical medicine within a body system. The present version attempts to balance the demands of horizontal and vertical integration. An important feature of all versions is the large proportion of time allowed for elective studies in most years of the course.


CONCLUSIONS
The Flinders curriculum has been able to adapt to the changing needs of medical education because its organisation is relatively free from the constraints of departmental rivalry over resources.
Geffen
L B
LB
School of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park.
Birkett
D J
DJ
Alpers
J H
JH
D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003479:Curriculum / Q000639:trends*; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013021:South Australia; D013997:Time Factors