This paper describes a 2-week curriculum designed to give graduate level physicians an understanding of the pathophysiology of shock and to enable them to diagnose and manage deranged oxygen metabolism in critically ill patients. The curriculum is predicated on an extensive needs assessment and addresses the unique characteristics and learning styles of graduate level physicians in residency training programs. The curriculum opens by stating the unit aim and offering explanation and rationale for in-depth study of shock and its management. A following section describes the context for the curriculum as part of a specialty training program at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The curriculum lists pre-requisites and entry characteristics of those in the program listing formal educational qualifications as well as a variety of personal characteristics. A section on needs assessment notes that the objectives of the module are based on research into the concepts, skills and attitudes needed to diagnose and treat shock. Objectives and performance criteria include eight points of knowledge, four skills, three attitudes, and one process. Proposed assessment is on a continuous basis during the training. Instruction details include the schedule for the 2 weeks and suggested strategies and evaluation methods. (JB)