© 1977 Oxford University Press
research-article |
Epidemiology for Canadian Medical Students—Desirable Attitudes, Knowledge and Skills
1 Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal Qué, Canada
2 Department of Medicine, Department of Bpideniioio and Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University Montreal Qué, Canada
Reprint requests should be addressed to Dr. M Jenicek
There is increasing recognition that the concepts traditionally taught by epidemiologists are essential for all medical graduates, most of whom will be clinicians, and not just for the minority who will specialize in population-based disciplines. This paper presents the recommendations of a Canadian conference which considered objectives for teaching epidemiology to medical undergraduates. These objectives are presented as the attitudes, knowledge and skills medical students should acquire. Recommendations concentrate on what should be learnt, rather than whet should be taught, or who should teach it. It was the consensus that epidemiologists are responsible for assuring that basic epidemlological attitudes, knowledge and skills be acquired, though the subjects need not be taught exclusively by epidemiologists themselves.
Received 15 December 1976