Epidemiology in Medical Education

The importance of epidemiology in medical education is that it is the scientific basis for the study of disease in populations. As modern society turns from an almost exclusive interest in the care of individuals who are Ill towards an organized effort to preserve the health of a population, it is imperative that all physiciane have a grounding in epidemiology. Furthermore, if the broadened perspective about health is to become a reality, the teaching of epidemiology must occur in a clinical setting—most appropriately that setting is primary care. In developing the thesia about the importance of epidemiology, the paper reviews briefly the priorities as they have prevailed in medical education, medical care, and in the minds of medical students. Recent indications of significant changes in the priorities in all three underline the importance of epidemiology as an integral part of the education of all physicians.