Training for community-oriented primary care

Despite growing interest in community-oriented primary care (COPC) few opportunities are available for learning the skills required for this integrated practice of community medicine and primary health care. Courses in epidemiology seldom pay specific attention to the use of epidemiology in COPC. Many programs for medical students include primary care or family or community medicine, but few bring these components together in an integrated curriculum for the teaching of COPC. "Community orientation" is used with a wide variety of meanings, and community-oriented educational programs do not necessarily include instruction in COPC. In graduate and continuing education, opportunities to gain experience in COPC are also limited. The development of services in which COPC is practiced is a prerequisite for effective training for COPC.