Public Health and Medicine

Distinctions Between Public Health and Medicine

Primary focus on populations
Public service ethic, as an extension of concerns for the individual
Emphasis on disease prevention and health promotion for the whole community
Public health paradigm employs a spectrum of interventions aimed at the environment, human behavior and lifestyle, and medical care
Variable certification of specialists beyond professional public health degree
Lines of specialization organized, for example, by:
- analytical method (epidemiology, toxicology)
- setting and population (occupational health, global health)
- substantive health problem (environmental health, nutrition)
Life sciences central, with a prime focus on major threats to the health of populations; research moves between laboratory and field
Population sciences and quantitative disciplines essential features of analysis and training
Social and public policy disciplines an integral part of public health education

Primary focus on individual
Personal service ethic, in the context of social responsibilities
Emphasis on disease diagnosis, treatment, and care for the individual patient
Medical paradigm places predominant emphasis on medical care
Uniform system for certifying specialists beyond professional medical degree
Lines of specialization organized, for example, by:
- organ system (cardiology, neurology)
- patient group (obstetrics, pediatrics)
- etiology and pathophysiology (infectious disease, oncology)
- technical skill (radiology, surgery)
Biological sciences central, stimulated by needs of patients; research moves between laboratory and bedside
Numerical sciences increasing in prominence, though still a relatively minor part of training
Social sciences tend to be an elective part of medical education