Delivering a pathology curriculum in an integrated medical course.

Modern integrated medical curricula usually do not include a separate pathology course. Consequently, there is a risk that important pathological principles may be omitted. We aimed to ensure that pathology is properly represented by developing a core pathology curriculum created in consultation with local pathologists. Appropriate information technology to track the delivery of this material within the integrated curriculum structure was developed using a learning content management system in which a metadata schema was constructed. This allows a sophisticated view of where and how pathology appears in the course and can also increase the visibility of the subject by demonstrating the central place of pathology in medicine. In conclusion, a core curriculum in pathology that can be tracked by information technology with sufficient power and flexibility is a solution to the potential loss of pathology from integrated medical courses. We believe the result is superior to a stand-alone pathology course.