I find this perspective both thought provoking and timely. Traditional medical training focuses almost exclusively on the individual doctor-patient relationship. Clearly, this is a critical foundation for the practice of medicine. However, many (even in the USA) see medicine as a societal good. In that regard, medical students and young doctors must view public health as an integral part of the practice of medicine. For more, click here.
The tension between patient care and public health should be explored in medical school curricula so that physicians have a sophisticated understanding of health promotion, preventive medicine and the provision of individual care, to increasing numbers of patients, under finite resources.
This is no small task and the time is now.
