In most medical schools with more traditional curricula, the subject of social medicine is likely to have caused difficulties, e.g. due to negative expectations and reactions from the students.At the Karolinska Institute, a 2-week course has been redesigned to include more project work and fewer lectures, practical experience preceding theoretical studies, a problem-oriented written test, etc. The purpose was to achieve a positive influence on interest, involvement, and understanding among the students as well as to provide them with an overall view of the issues in social medicine.This article describes the difficulties encountered in the past as well as the new course design. Further, it presents highlights of the results from a series of evaluations comparing the old and the new course structures.