The world is changing at a rapid pace, and this changes what students need to know and be able to do. As a result, educational institutions must continually update their curriculum to stay relevant in the community. This also helps to ensure that students are learning the most current knowledge and skills that they will need to be successful in their future careers.

Curriculum change involves incorporating innovative teaching methods, technologies and pedagogies into the academic setting. This can be done by incorporating new subjects, integrating disciplines or providing flexible learning pathways that are aligned with student interests and career aspirations. In addition, curricular changes can support student engagement by making learning more interactive, practical and meaningful through the use of internships, projects and community involvement.

A key component of effective curriculum change is acknowledging and understanding faculty concerns during the process. This allows the medical education team to provide targeted strategies, workshops and planning to promote acceptance of a new curriculum.

In one study, interviews were conducted with a sample of 29 medical educators during the initial phases of a curriculum change. The results showed that most of the respondents were aware of the committee charged with curriculum review and the national competencies; however, they were unclear about how these changes would impact their teaching practices. The respondents viewed the curriculum as a top-down process in which they were not given the opportunity to participate and felt that they were being told what to teach rather than having the freedom to choose their own topics.