title: Public health and the undergraduate medical curriculum: are we preparing physicians for the 21st century?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the adequacy of the undergraduate medical curriculum in Pakistan to address primary healthcare and public health needs of the community at national level.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cross-sectional study used standardised pilot-tested instruments from January 12 to July 14, 2010. Stratified purposive sampling technique was employed to include public and private-sector medical colleges in the study. A total of 174 faculty members were interviewed at 11 medical colleges. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS 17.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 174 faculty members, 93 (53%) were male. The age of the respondents ranged between 26 and 68 years (Mean: 43 +/- 9 years). Of the participants, 64 (37%) had worked in a primary healthcare facility at some point in their career. Various aspects of maternal, newborn and child health are not covered by the medical curriculum as reported by the faculty members.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is disconnection between academia, primary healthcare providers, policymakers and the regulators. The primary healthcare providers have inadequate representation in the curriculum design. There is a need to re-direct financial resources, medical education, and medical practitioners with a focus on addressing the needs of the rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Shifa College of Medicine, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan. aliyawaralam@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ali Yawar
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: Shifa College of Medicine, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Syed Muslim
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.affiliation: Shifa College of Medicine, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mohammad Raees
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Malik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011634:Public Health