ReviewBMC medical education2025
Theoretical models to guide undergraduate medical curriculum development: an integrative review.
Review in BMC medical education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- An Empirical Approach to Curriculum Mapping in Traditional Kampo Medicine Education in Japan: Practical Methodological Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Undergraduate nursing students' experiences with evidence-based practice during clinical internship: a qualitative study.BMC nursing · 2026Article
- Entrustable professional activities as a framework for longitudinal geriatric oral health curriculum reform in undergraduate dental education.Frontiers in dental medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHigher medical education has experienced significant growth in recent years. Curriculum development has consistently been the focus of educators’ investigation, as it is one of the most critical components of educational reform. High-quality curriculum development must be founded on educators’ knowledge and experience and supported by scientific and standardized theoretical models.
objectiveTo integrate a comprehensive development framework based on the key steps and components of theoretical models that guide undergraduate medical curriculum development, and to summarize the issues that need attention in curriculum development.
methodsAdheres to the WHITTEMORE and KNAFL frameworks. Eight databases were queried: PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP. The inclusion criteria encompassed research that employed a theoretical model to inform the development of an undergraduate medical curriculum, detailed the development process, and was published in English or Chinese. Two researchers independently screened the titles, abstracts, and entire texts. The methodological quality of empirical studies was evaluated using the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool (MMAT).
resultsThis review encompassed 18 articles, comprising three qualitative studies, six quantitative studies, and nine mixed-methods studies. Ten theoretical models that may guide curriculum development are mentioned in the 18 articles. We have integrated them into a comprehensive theoretical framework comprising four essential steps: situational analysis of curriculum development, delineation of curriculum objectives, design of curriculum material, and implementation and assessment of the curriculum. Of the 13 studies examining course delivery effectiveness, prevalent evaluation methods comprised quantitative assessments and qualitative feedback. The qualitative feedback revealed that inadequate course planning, a scarcity of offline practical activities, and unsuitable teaching material selection were the primary factors influencing course satisfaction.
conclusionThis review provides an overview of the theoretical models that guide medical curriculum development and their essential components, thereby establishing a comprehensive curriculum development framework and summarizing issues that require attention during curriculum development. The findings provide evidence-based guidance for model selection, methodological evaluation, and curriculum improvement.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.