Abstract: Objective To explore the importance for medical schools to develop optional courses and the obstacles emerged in the process in the perspective of medical students.Methods The participants were 390 undergraduates sampled from all the sophomores and junior students in Peking University Life Science Center by stratified random sampling. To meet the purpose of investigation, self-made questionnaires were used to conduct the quantitative survey and a self-edited interview outline was used to guide the qualitatively interview.Results Students had a low opinion of curriculum arrangement, mainly involved in the limited range of courses, importer way of choosing courses, shortage of systematical course description. Students required that: school could increase the number of humanities and social sciences courses, art classes and gym classes; departments could loose up the requirements for optional credits; the course service platform could consummate the courses description; course selection process could switch to a more disinterested one; and the teachers could conduct classes and exams in more open and flexible ways.Conclusions Recent general education resource and quality might not meet the requirements of students well. To achieve the aim of general education, medical schools were recommended to carry out groping teaching reformation from three aspects: the abundance and quality of curriculum, the methods of teaching and examination as well as the development of peripheral arrangement.

Key words: General education, Optional Courses, Medical school, Medical students, Requirements analysis, Teaching reformation