Distribution of behavioral science faculty in United States medical schools: 1968-1969 and 1978-1979

The Association of American Medical Colleges' faculty profiles were analyzed for 117 U.S. medical schools for the years 1968/1969 and 1978/1979. The growth of behavioral science faculty more than matched that of all medical school faculty (i.e. 78 vs 65%) in full-time tenure-track positions over this 10-year period. Most behavioral science medical school faculty are psychologists. Although still small in numbers, faculty from other disciplines such as anthropology and sociology have gained increasing acceptance, and these 117 medical schools now employ at least 20 full-time economists and 13 who have earned degrees in political science. The growth of behavioral science faculty has been primarily in clinical departments, and those who are associated with independent departments of behavioral science remained virtually static (87 vs 88) over this 10 year period.