Over the past ten years the University of New Mexico School of Medicine has conducted an educational experiment featuring learner-centered , problem-based , community-oriented learning . The experiment was introduced into an established institution by means of an innovative educational track running parallel to the more conventional curriculum . Students in the innovative track , compared with those in the conventional tract , tended to score lower on the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME ) Part I examination (basic sciences ) and higher on NBME Part II (clinical sciences ), received higher clinical grades on clinical clerkships , and experienced less distress . They were more likely than conventional-track students to retain their initial interest in or switch their preference to careers in family medicine . The parallel-track strategy for introducing curriculum reform succeeded in fostering institutional acceptance of continuing educational innovation . Generic steps in overcoming institutional barriers to change are identified .