Reform of the medical curriculum in Sweden: Towards a more active and multidisciplinary learning of people-centred care (2018)

Medical schools in Sweden are revising their medical curricula to involve students in more active and multidisciplinary learning and to better integrate basic science and clinical experiences. This is in response to changing needs in patients, rising incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases and multimorbidity, the proliferation of new knowledge and technologies, changing practice environments and new understandings of pedagogy. These reforms are a joint effort by the government and universities, health care providers, patient organizations and professional organizations. It has been recognized that new and main competencies are required. The reform identified the need for pro-active chronic disease management, increased emphasis on disease prevention and health promotion, critical thinking, continuous quality improvement, generalist competencies, communication skills and multidisciplinary teamwork. This means that practice-based learning is gradually moving from hospital settings to primary care.