A Paradigm Shift in Medical Education, Transitioning to Integrated Curriculum: A Faculty Point of View

Background: The universities are migrating from a conventional discipline based curriculum to an integrated organ system based curriculum delivered using innovative and interactive methods. The motivation behind this is to enhance clinical decision making and encourage critical thinking in the students. This realist review aims to provide the faculty perception regarding the barriers and lack of motivation towards the ever evolving and demanding curriculum models. Methods: The authors researched the articles imploring the advantages and disadvantages of migrating to newer curriculum models and the perceived effects on faculty and students. The search was conducted using Scopus, Google Scholar, Pubmed, and Ebsco Host on August 10, 2021. The authors used the narrative discussion to analyse the study and summarize the results as a realist discussion. Results: Narrative discussions from 23 articles were summarized; factors discussed were students and faculty perception about newer curriculum design, views regarding the preference and evaluation of different curriculum styles, learning environment, time dedicated towards capacity building for faculty and staff, and the most important barriers experienced towards accepting newer curriculum. Conclusion: We observed that the curriculum migration from traditional discipline based to integrated or newer formats is challenging and has several implications but proper mitigation, implementation, and planning towards these changes can help the academic community to succeed and accept the newer curriculum. There is a need to provide opportunities for critical discussions involving the faculty and administrators, provide resources towards logistics, workforce, and academic shortcomings required to successfully transition to newer curriculum designs which can help mitigate the ever-increasing faculty burnout. We recommend that the curriculum revisions should be done involving all three stakeholders following an in-depth analysis of the present curriculum, its efficiencies and deficiencies and the availability of infrastructure and resources to handle and successfully migrate to newer formats. Both formats have advantages and disadvantages, and no one model fits all.