Both joint and integrated teaching are concerned with how other disciplines can contribute to medical education, but teaching of behavioural and social science in medicine1will not be treated specifically here (see the article in this issue by B. E. Chalmers). Rather, I shall focus on what to consider when organizing and implementing joint and integrated programmes. It is not appropriate to give rigid recommendations as to how such teaching must be organized and conducted: each educator should consider how local circumstances and resources can best be used. An established Australian programme will be used to illustrate one approach, and I will suggest some factors to take into account when planning a programme for a particular setting and set of objectives.