Improving Medical Education

Abstract

In response to growing recognition of the role played by behavioral and social factors in health and disease, the National Institutes of Health and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation asked the Institute of Medicine to conduct a study of medical school education in the behavioral and social sciences. The study included a review of the approaches used by medical schools to incorporate the behavioral and social sciences into their curricula, development of a prioritized list of behavioral and social science topics for future inclusion in those curricula, and an examination of ways in which barriers to the incorporation of behavioral and social science topics can be overcome. The committee finds that existing databases provide inadequate information on behavioral and social science curriculum content, teaching techniques, and assessment methodologies in U.S. medical schools and recommends development of a new national behavioral and social science database. It also recommends that medical students be provided with an integrated behavioral and social science curriculum that extends throughout the 4 years of medical school. The committee identifies 26 topics in six behavioral and social science domains that it believes should be included in medical school curricula. The six domains are mind-body interactions in health and disease, patient behavior, physician role and behavior, physician-patient interactions, social and cultural issues in health care, and health policy and economics.To help overcome multiple barriers to the incorporation of the behavioral and social sciences into medical school curricula, the committee recommends that the National Institutes of Health or private foundations establish behavioral and social sciences career development and curriculum development awards. Moreover, concerned that the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination currently places insufficient emphasis on test items related to the behavioral and social sciences, the committee recommends that the National Board of Medical Examiners ensure that the exam adequately covers the behavioral and social science subject matter recommended in this report.