[Preventive and social aspects in medical education, Mexico]

The subject of the article is medical education in Mexico, particularly in the area of preventive and social medicine. It emphasizes the impact on this instruction of the country's economic and cultural dependence. It then presents some important qualitative data such as those on the existence of the administrative academic body responsible for the area, the names of the academic subjects in the area of preventive and social medicine, the educational objectives and study plan of this area; its connection with undergraduate internship and social service; agreements with other institutions for instructions; the semester in which the subjects in the area are taught and the faculty members teaching them. Finally, on the basis of the information presented, several conclusions are reached which make it possible to asseverate that the teaching of preventive and social medicine is not given the importance it merits, in the study plan of any medical school in the country.