Teaching of Community Medicine in the United States: An Outsider’s View

During the academic year 1971-72, the author visited 22 American and Canadian universities in order to get acquainted with their teaching programs in community health. It was possible to place the departments of community medicine (preventive medicine, social medicine, family practice) according to clearly distinguishable variables. The most basic variable was the extent of commitment to community medicine. This ranged from medical schools in which all departments participated in providing care on a community basis to schools in which only a department of community medicine was interested in community health. The second major variable was the basic orientation of the department of community medicine. This variable is located on a continuum ranging from a basic science to a clinical orientation. Impact of the commitment to community health and of the basic orientation of departments of community medicine on teaching objectives and methods, type of client contact, student projects, and research focus is discussed.

Author(s): Hannu Vuori

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Volume 51, Issue 2 (pages 253–269)
Published in 1973