INTEGRATION OF PARAMEDICAL EDUCATION THROUGH CONSOLIDATION OF RELATED TRAINING WAS STUDIED AS A FIRST STEP IN CURRICULUM DESIGN FOR MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WHICH WILL MEET THE CHANGING REQUIREMENTS OF MEDICAL CARE OCCUPATIONS. THE OBJECTIVES WERE TO DETERMINE--(1) COURSES COMMON TO PRESENT PARAMEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, (2) THE NATURE OF SUCH COMMONALITIES, AND (3) GUIDELINES FOR THE INTEGRATION OF THESE PROGRAMS. ALL MAJOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, AND PARAMEDICAL GROUPS FROM UNIVERSITY, JUNIOR COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL, AND HOSPITAL PROGRAMS IN A METROPOLITAN AREA WERE REPRESENTED IN A WORKSHOP OF 24 PARAMEDICAL EDUCATORS WHO MET WEEKLY FOR 6 MONTHS. MEMBERS OF THE WORKSHOP GATHERED CURRICULUM MATERIALS FOR 20 PARAMEDICAL CAREERS FROM 126 EDUCATION PROGRAMS CONSISTING OF 2,613 COURSE TITLES IN 110 SEPARATE INSTITUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. COMPUTER PRINT-OUTS LISTED CAREERS, COURSES, SUBJECT CLASSIFICATIONS, AND RELATED DESCRIPTIVE DATA SUCH AS NUMBER OF CLOCK HOURS FOR EACH IN LECTURE, LABORATORY, AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE. OF THE 126 GENERAL SUBJECT CLASSIFICATIONS, 78 WERE COMMON TO 2 OR MORE PARAMEDICAL FIELDS. THERE APPEARED TO BE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AMONG CURRICULUM DEVELOPERS OF PARAMEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND A NEED FOR A STUDY IN EACH OF THE PARAMEDICAL CAREERS OF THE TASKS PERFORMED BY THE PRACTITIONERS. (JM)