[Requirements of a future-oriented social medicine]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Education

Context:

• New national physician licensing regulations are fragmenting social medicine into discrete subjects.
• The evolving landscape of medical knowledge and healthcare delivery necessitates a reevaluation of social medicine's role.
• Factors such as globalization, demographic shifts, and family structure changes impact public health.

Purpose:

• To determine the future content and scope of social medicine in response to regulatory and societal changes.
• To outline essential considerations for the continued relevance and integration of social medicine within medical faculties.
• To propose a framework for developing quality-assured, internet-accessible social medicine content.

Summary:

• Social medicine must adapt its content to new physician licensing regulations, considering factors like medical progress, healthcare system changes, and globalization.
• Future content should focus on patient career management and community/societal health problem investigation.
• An inductive, practical curriculum and a new basic textbook are recommended for social medicine education.

Impact:

• Ensures social medicine remains a relevant and integral part of medical education and practice.
• Facilitates the development of a forward-looking, adaptable social medicine curriculum.
• Promotes the creation of accessible, high-quality educational resources for social medicine professionals.