Objective: 
The Vermont Integrated Curriculum (VIC), a 4 year medical school curriculum, was introduced to the class of 2007.  Instruction in the Art and Science of medicine is woven throughout the curriculum with a focus on patients, families and communities. Parallel activities are designed in Medical Student Leadership Groups (MSLG) and Clinical Skills, which incorporate content from ongoing Foundations courses into discussions of group dynamics and professional development and into physical examination and interviewing skills.  Medical Interviewing which was a stand alone course is now imbedded in a second semester, first year foundation course called Nutrition, Metabolism and Gastrointestinal Tract (NGMI). In order to meet the goals of the new curriculum, the Medical Interviewing course needed to be redesigned.

Methods:
Course directors from NGMI, MSLG and Medical Interviewing, met to discuss individual course objectives and shared learning outcomes.  As a result of these meetings and the curricular focus on family, the “Cabot Family” was born. Each member presents with a medical problem based on a nutritional, metabolic and or gastrointestinal problems, a communication challenge while touching on issues of confidentiality, ethics and professionalism. With the guidance of faculty, using a “rolling roll play”, students interview and discuss issues raised by the family member.  Follow up conversation occur within the MSLG groups

Results:
Faculty and standardized patients who taught in this course previously report greater satisfaction with student performance as it pertained to content, communication, interpersonal skills and professionalism.  Integration goals among the courses were met.

Conclusion:
Discussions among course directors are required to meet integration goals, reduce redundancy, and increase student performance. Use of a standardized family optimizes the integration goals of the VIC.