Community physicians: Words, actions and outcomes: TRP5

Abstract

Community Medicine is a science and art of promoting health, preventing diseases, and prolonging life by range of interventions (promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative) in close partnership or association with healthcare delivery system and with active community participation and intersectoral coordination, as described in the IAPSM textbook.[1] Many terms such as Preventive Medicine, Social Medicine, Community Health, and Public Health are used synonymously for the specialty “Community Medicine.” Many specialties undergo changes in the nomenclature which evolves over the years and decades. We observe such requests coming from many other clinical specialties and super-specialties as medicine undoubtedly is dynamic and rapidly changing science. Regulatory bodies such as Medical Council of India had recommended the nomenclature as Community Medicine for the academic purposes to impart MBBS and MD degrees. Recently, Community Medicine has been described as a clinical specialty along with other clinical subjects in the MBBS curriculum released by the National Medical Commission as per the Gazette of India Notification, Regd. No. D. L.-33004/99, Extraordinary No. 390 dated November 6, 2019.[2]