Medical Sociology and Healthcare Reform: Interdisciplinary Education for the Next Generation of Healthcare Professionals

• In Event: 322 - Section on Medical Sociology Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 13. Medical Education I

Abstract

This paper outlines the role of applied medical sociology in adapting to the social and economic changes in health and healthcare in America. As the U.S. faces economic and social challenges related to an aging society, waning social security, increased healthcare costs, and healthcare reforms, state and local institutions struggle with the goal of maintaining a healthy and economically productive populace. The Oregon Institute of Technology, primarily offering vocational degrees in the engineering and health fields, is currently proposing a program in applied medical sociology to train students for new careers auxiliary to healthcare such as health counseling, heath data analysis, research, and the planning and evaluation of community health programs. Tenets of this program will be discussed, exploring linkages between medical sociology, health inequalities, healthcare, and job placement for sociology graduates.

Author

• Sophia Lyn Nathenson, Oregon Institute of Technology