"It is much more important to know what sort of a patient has a disease, than what sort of disease a patient has." William Osler.

Culture is defined as a shared system of values, beliefs and learned patterns of behaviours and is not simply defined by ethnicity. It is shaped by such factors as proximity, education, gender, age and sexual preference. Culture is also embedded in biology and history, and is lived by individuals in groups through social action.

The Bio-psychosocial model teaches students to understand the organising principles inherent in the case-study. Problem Based Learning facilitates reflection on the patient culture, the student's own cultural background as well as medical culture, enabling a critical analysis of the patient's history and culture in its geographical context.