This paper describes a new approach to teaching human behavioural science to medical students. Designed to overcome the problems of large student numbers, limited staff resources and a minimum of student-staff contact time, the course follows a group-orientated teaching approach, with students being allocated self-contained work units taking approximately one week to complete and be assessed. Standards achieved by students are as high, and in some cases much higher, than would have been expected following a traditional lecture course. Student feedback has generally been favourable.