This book has a high degree of reader friendliness. It provides a practical and easy-to-follow six-step approach to curriculum development for medical education. It starts with a suitable introduction and an overview of the six steps that highlight the interactive and continuous nature of the approach. The following chapters (2 to 7) describe each of the six steps in detail: problem identification, needs assessment, goals and objectives, educational strategies, implementation, and evaluation. Chapter 8 explains the significance of the maintenance, enhancement, and dissemination of a curriculum. Appendix A is a highlight because it gives practical examples of the six step approach. Appendix B provides the reader with a selected list of published and unpublished resources on funding, faculty development, and already developed curricula. On a more personal level, I chose to read and review this book because I am interested in curriculum design and found it to be a great starting place. I have completed my major paper on curriculum development in a residency program using this approach.
The major strength of the book is that the six steps are clearly presented with relevant examples to illustrate important concepts. It is very useful for beginner curriculum developers. Summary tables are available which help readers with limited time to get to grips with the comprehensive text. Every chapter finishes with conclusions and questions which stimulate critical reflection. These are then followed by helpful general and specific references. There is an evaluation form at end of the book which can be used by the reader to contribute to improvements in future editions.
The weakness of this book is that it is mainly focused on education in medicine. Incorporating examples from other health professions might attract a wider audience. In addition, some of the examples are challenging to understand. Finally, it contains only one figure; having more would make it more applicable to readers with visual learning styles. The intended audience includes program directors and other faculty members who are responsible for the educational experiences of students, residents, fellows and clinical practitioners. I recommend this book to all health educators to use as a basic framework to guide them through the curriculum development process. Also, it would be useful for all beginner curriculum developers.