Definitions of specific medical competencies to be acquired by medical students in the course of their studies may be derived from the juxtaposition of a list of generic competencies with a list of appropriate subject areas. The end-point of the process is the enumeration and description of specific competencies which may be used for the purposes of curriculum planning and evaluation. The operation of the method is demonstrated in relation to the curriculum of the Beer Sheva Medical School, Israel, whereby a description of a specific competency (‘diagnosis’) is derived by juxtaposing a generic competency (‘problem-solving’) with a subject area (‘clinical practice’).