© Springer International Publishing AG 2018 21
T.S. Köhler, B. Schwartz (eds.), Surgeons as Educators,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64728-9_3
Curriculum Development
Elspeth M. McDougall and Bradley Schwartz
Most surgeons affiliated with an academic institution and thereby involved in
medical student, resident, and fellowship teaching have never had any formal
training to be an educator. The demands of both clinical practice and educational
needs of the learners are constantly increasing and changing requiring these
educators to teach more in less time [ 1 ]. The key element to the presentation of an
efficient and effective educational program or course is the methodical and con-
structive development of the curriculum. This chapter will outline the six key
steps to curriculum development which address the components constituting the
effective creation and maintenance of the training curriculum for any level of
learner. Following these guidelines will ensure that the educator understands the
needs of the learners, and the learners have a clear knowledge of what is expected
of them in achieving proficiency in acquiring the necessary skills to provide excel-
lence in patient care.
A curriculum is a planned educational experience, and the word is derived from
the Latin word for “racecourse” [ 2 ]. Curriculum development is defined as a
planned, purposeful, progressive, and systematic process in order to create positive
improvements in an educational system [ 3 ]. John Dewey advocated that a curricu-
lum should teach concepts not just facts and teach for desired patient outcomes
thereby linking the curriculum to health-care needs. A logical and systematic
approach to curriculum development will help achieve the desired aims and goals of
an educational program. David Kerns has written extensively on curriculum
E.M. McDougall, MD, FRCSC, MHPE (*)
University of British Columbia,Gordon & Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre,
11th Floor – 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
e-mail: [email protected]
B. Schwartz, DO, FACS
Department of Surgery, Urology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine,
Springfield, IL, USA