Musculoskeletal conditions are the commonest cause of severe long term pain and account for half of all chronic conditions in the over 65s. The BOA published guidelines on the musculoskeletal undergraduate curriculum in 2001. It suggested that a minimum of 8 weeks be allocated for the musculoskeletal course. However, a survey of medical schools showed that only 3 to 5 weeks are allocated. Our results suggest that the musculoskeletal course in Manchester is not long enough to gain sufficient knowledge. Therefore we feel that these deficiencies need addressing with a change in the taught undergraduate curriculum