Towards a curriculum for the consultant biostatistician: identification of central disciplines.

The variation in the background of biostatistical consultants is huge. This varying background in formal education complicates communication. It may obscure clients' expectations as well as any discussion on qualifications and registration. To tackle these disadvantages as well as to facilitate the training of a new colleague, we need to find common ground. The aim of this paper is to identify the central disciplines which constitute the foundation of biostatistical consultancy. Any task-aimed curriculum should be based on these disciplines. Curriculum design theory was used to guarantee a logical and rational process. The result is the identification of a sextet of disciplines: applied statistics; methodology; epidemiology; communication; computational science, and personal effectiveness. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.