Teaching pathology to medical undergraduates

Dramatic curricular reforms in undergraduate medical education mean that many pathologists now find themselves involved in courses that are significantly different from those which they encountered as medical students. Department-led didactic courses in pathology have been replaced by centrally managed, problem-based integrated curricula in which pathology may at first be difficult to identify. This article discusses how curriculum reform has changed the ways in which medical students encounter pathologists and pathology, and the way in which pathology teaching is managed. The various teaching modalities that can be used to convey a knowledge of pathology are considered, with special reference to the autopsy. Finally, consideration is given to the necessity for those involved in undergraduate medical education to be proficient both in their own discipline and in teaching. Pathologists have a continuing role at all levels of the curriculum, from design and management through to delivery.