Trend of Recent Changes in Medical Education Curriculum in the World: The Location of Iranian Medical Education Curriculum

Introduction: Academic General Practitioner training program has begun in 18th century, although it has a long history initiated before Christ. This study is aimed at investigating the historical trend of GP training program from 1765 to 2011 and exploring influential factors inducing changes in the medical education curriculum. Finally, it is to analyze medical education curriculum in Iran with respect to global trend of medical education changes. Methods: This is a narrative review in the field of General Practitioner training program history in the World and Iran. Results: History of academic GP training program in the world can be studied in five phases: 1765-1870 with the dominance of apprenticeship model followed by the emergence of newer models: 1871-1950 discipline based model, 1951-1970 system oriented model, 1971-1990 problem based learning model and 1991 to present competency based model. In Iran, academic medical education refers to establishment of Dar-Al-Fonoon school in 1849. Since that time on, medical education in Iran has been discipline based for more than 150 years. Recently reforms have been planned and implemented in several Iranian medical schools to adopt the curriculum for more innovative models. Discussion: In conclusion, although the challenges in medical education in Iran are the same as the other parts of the world, the dominant model of medical education curriculum is yet discipline-based model which is non-efficient with respect to the mentioned challenges. A historical perspective approach on the medical education curriculum seems to yield possible solutions obtained from scientific findings and texts and their local application.