Knowledge, Abilities, Responsibilities: The Design of a Three-Dimensional Curriculum Framework for Modern Pharmacy Education

Our post-modern world is extraordinarily complex: if our graduates are to be able to thrive in this world they must be empowered to evince professional competence, steward the practical and theoretical knowledge fundamental to their work, and choose the right actions in complex contexts. This manuscript describes an approach to designing a curriculum framework intended to facilitate the achievement of these aims based on three methodologies: 1) an analytic process that identifi es the tasks and underlying knowledge, skills, and attitudes required in the performance of professional duties; 2) a clinical learning methodology that creates intentional connections between theoretical and practical knowledge, and; 3) a curricular assessment process that assesses the integration of cognitive, social, and affective abilities into professional work and learning activities, and drives the design of learning activities. The resultant “three-dimensional” (3D) curriculum integrates complex abilities with the development of professional competence on the road to expertise.