Introduction: Community-oriented medical education (COME) implies using the health needs
of a certain community as the base for development of educational goals as well as selection and
implementation of teaching activities. A model of COME is adopted by Al-Baha University
Faculty of Medicine (FMBU) in Saudi Arabia. Through this curriculum, more emphasis is paid
to priority health problems (PHPs) of the local community of Al-Baha province. Objective: to
determine the influence of the COME curriculum of FMBU on the students' awareness of PHPs
in their local community. Methods: Through a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach,
identification and prioritization of PHPs of the local community of Al-Baha province was
conducted from the students' points of view. Factors that might affect students' perception of
these PHPs were also investigated. Results: Among a list of 11 disease categories, traffic
injuries, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes were agreed upon by the students as the most
PHPs of Al-Baha community. Results of this study are in favor with the positive impact of study
in the COME on students' awareness of the PHPs in their local community. This assumption was
consolidated in comparison to other factors that might be of influence like residence in this local
community. Conclusion: COME curriculum could improve medical students' awareness of
PHPs in their local community. A comparative research between impact of this COME
curriculum and another classic curriculum in a similar community is indicated.