Training specialists in community medicine in Norway

In Norway there is a century-long tradition for letting "the combination-doctor" work with both individual curative treatment and preventive health work in the community. A training programme for the medical specialty "community medicine" has been developed, and it requires at least five years of postgraduate training: one year in general practice, one year in a clinical hospital department, three years of guided community medicine in a municipality, four months of theoretical education within epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental medicine, social medicine, planning, economy, and management. Approximately 50% of the 448 municipalities in Norway now employ a specialist in community medicine. The goal is more than one specialist in every municipality.