The Specialty of Preventive Medicine

Abstract

This year of 1968 represents the 20th anniversary of the founding of the American Board of Preventive Medicine. In these two decades the whole world has been swept by changes—social, scientific, and educational—and many of these changes have had special significance for us in preventive medicine. Certainly this has been an exciting period for the board. As we move into our 21st year, the anniversary provides an occasion to review some of the causes for satisfaction regarding the specialty of preventive medicine, as well as some causes for concern. My emphasis will be on matters which have a bearing on the status of the specialty, and on education and training—the preparation of future leaders in our field. Causes for Satisfaction First, it seems to me that in the past 20 years preventive medicine has come to the end of one era and entered a wholly new one. We seem to