[Criteria for teaching medical sociology in public health area]

A discussion is given on the most important criteria which should guide the selection of medical sociology's contents which should be taught to public health students. It is suggested that in the current national context, the teaching of sociology in public health should be guided by three objectives: a) to train public health specialists capable of analyzing and criticizing their social reality; b) to disseminate the main findings achieved through social research in public health, concerning mainly the social determination of both the health illness process and the provision of health services; and c) to train public health students to face social changes currently taking place in this country which soon will make evident their effects on the distribution of health and illness in the population. The relevance of linking the teaching of medical sociology in public health with actual research is pointed out. The need to carry out sociological research on the actual current conditions in which social sciences in public health are taught in Mexico and Latin America is stated. It is emphasized the importance of including within this teaching the variety of dilemmas and polemics which have resulted as a consequence of the incorporation of sociology into health matters. The article concludes by emphasizing the need to show the multiparadigmal character of sociology and the consequences of this fact in the study of public health.