The role of medical students in curriculum committees.

Background: Medical students often play a role in local curricular issues by assessing the curriculum and bringing consumers' perspectives to curricular committees.
Purpose: To identify the formal roles that medical students play on curriculum committees.
Methods: Mail survey to associate deans of medical education at all U.S. medical schools (N = 144).
Results: A total of 109 surveys were returned (response rate = 75.7%). Students had formal roles on the curricular committees at 100% of the respondent institutions. The majority of medical schools allow peers to elect their representatives to the committee (53.2%). Students have a right to vote on curricular changes at 86% of the respondent institutions. The vast majority of respondents (97.2%) felt that medical students were important in initiating curricular change.
Conclusions: Medical students play an active role on curriculum committees at U.S. medical schools. Further research is needed to fully elucidate these specific roles.