King Saud University, Al-Kharj College of Medicine, is the first medical school in Al-Kharj region. The salient attributes of the curriculum are:

1.

The top ten medical schools in the United States are reviewed for a better insight in Al-Kharj curriculum.

2.

A semester system, similar to the vast majority of medical colleges in the USA is adopted.

3.

Radiographic Anatomy is included in the curriculum of the Al-Kharj College of Medicine to introduce students to the radiographic appearance of normal structures and various body organs and structures. This approach is found in the University of Texas study plan. This course is introduced in the second year along with gross anatomy, for they are complementary to each other. Through this approach students will develop a better perception of human anatomy, and a deviation from the normal due to various diseases presented to students through radiology and imaging courses.

4.

A Professional-Skills course is introduced in the fourth-year as an outset of clinical years. The course is taught in a "Clinical-Skill Laboratory" and a "Medical Simulation Laboratory" to train the students on the correct methods of eliciting physical signs. This course prepares students to conduct clinical examination on real patients. Sequentially, students are introduced to the practice of reliable procedures that are frequently performed in general medical practice.

5

Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM), which has attained a pivotal role in contemporary medical education, is incorporated into the study plan to acquaint students with verification methods of various data encountered in research and clinical settings. The concept of this course is in the study plan of Harvard Medical School.

6.

A course in the Practice-of-Medicine, centered around patient-oriented scenarios, aims at integrating various biomedical and clinical concepts in a PBL module. PBL directs students to be self learners, and capable of integrating the knowledge of diverse medical specialties into comprehensive management plans. The concept of this course is in the curriculum of the University of Stanford School of Medicine.

7.

A Laboratory-Medicine course has been devised to familiarize students with: key laboratory tests, principles of blood transfusion, safety precautions in the laboratory scenery. This course is in the curriculum of the University of Washington School of Medicine.

8.

A Clinical-nutrition course deals with the important aspects of nutrition that are crucial for preventing malnutrition and management of disease. This course is implied in the School of Medicine, University of Washington.

9.

Molecular biology is an essential element of modern medical practice. An increasing numbers of diseases are diagnosed and treated at the molecular level. A similar course is in the curriculum of the University of California-San Francisco School of medicine.

A Family-Medicine is another course added to the curriculum - as it is the case in the study plan of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.