Although medical education currently emphasizes problem solving skills, recent evidence from psychological studies of clinical reasoning suggests that medical expertise is characterized by the gradual accumulation of experience in memory. This results in an ability to perceive, organize, and recall the extensive information given by the patient. The experienced clinician is a better problem solver by virtue of accumulated experience, not as a result of innate or learned problem solving skill. These results suggest curriculum innovations providing an environment rich in clinical experience, and concept learning in the context of clinical problems. Further research is needed to identify the strategies used by experts in dealing with unusual or atypical problems. (BS)