Essential curriculum transformation – the why and how

Summary: The centenary of the 1910 Flexner report was marked by a number of seminal publications
calling for further transformative change in the education of doctors (and other healthcare
professionals).1,2

Transformative learning involves three fundamental shifts: from fact memorisation to searching, analysis,
and synthesis of information for decision making; from seeking professional credentials to achieving core
competencies for effective teamwork in health systems; and from non-critical adoption of educational
models to creative adaptation of global resources to address local priorities.1 More recently Harden has
also contributed to this debate, setting out his vision for ten key features of the future medical school.3

This symposium will share the experiences of the participating international medical schools, providing
insights into drivers for transformative curriculum development, the underpinning foundations and
framework necessary for its planning and implementation, and specific examples of how this has been and
is currently being taken forward. Many medical schools around the world are at different stages in
considering, developing, implementing or reviewing initiatives to take these recommendations forward in
ways appropriate to their patient, health system and societal settings.

The AMEE ASPIRE curriculum development award scheme has also been developed to stimulate,
encourage and inform educators and their institutions in such developments - https://www.aspire-to excellence.org

What participants will gain: The symposium will focus on identifying high level principles which can be
used to address desired curricular development in a wide variety of national and local settings. It will also
provide opportunities for sharing of international experience, with focus on learning from each other,
meeting colleagues with experience in this area and providing a setting in which contacts can be made for
ongoing exchange of information and collaboration, as envisaged in the AMEE ASPIRE Academy initiative.
Who should participate: Anyone engaged in or with an interest in curriculum reform, who wishes to
participate in an exploration of drivers, rationale and implementation, shared by a team with extensive
international experience of the realities of leading the extensive change management process required to
undertake this successfully.

References
1. Frenk J. Lancet 376:1923(2010)
2. Irby D. Acad Med 85:220(2010)
3. Harden R. Med Teach 40:1010(2018)