Course image Social and Community Medicine 1 | 2021
Academic Year 2020-2021
IntroductionCommunity Health is an integral part of health profession education in Rwanda. To produce health care providers that are sensitive to the community health needs of the majority of the Rwandan population is essential. Understanding the burden of disease and the importance of preventing illness from the perspective of the community is a vitally important skill of each physician. Health care providers in Rwanda must have the ability to understand the impact of social determinants of health and community factors that influence health and the prevalence and severity of disease that their patients present with at the clinical setting and vice versa how disease influences the social situation of the patient. Health care providers must understand the role of various health services in providing care and work together with health care workers on all levels. It is essential for them to be able to advocate for patients and the community they work with. Short Course DescriptionThe overall aim of social and community medicine training in undergraduate medical, dental surgery, and pharmacy curriculum is to develop patient-centered and community-oriented professional health care providers. iSOCO 1 is a longitudinal module introducing students to social and community medicine. It will prepare them to understand the basic principles of social and community health care, which they will need within the practice of medicine, dental surgery and pharmacy. The module is divided into five main sections (Population Health, Health Systems, Social Medicine, Communication skills and Professionalism) that are further divided in key elements. Year 1 will be used as an introduction to the five sections. This will be continued in years 2, 3 and 4.