Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health

The Korean Society for Preventive Medicine (대한예방의학회)
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Origins and Evolution of Social Medicine and Contemporary Social Medicine in Korea

사회의학의 기원, 진화 및 한국 사회의학의 실상

  • Han, Dal Sun (Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine) ;
  • Bae, Sang-Soo (Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Dong-Hyun (Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine) ;
  • Choi, Yong-jun (Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine)
  • 한달선 (한림대학교 의과대학 사회의학교실) ;
  • 배상수 (한림대학교 의과대학 사회의학교실) ;
  • 김동현 (한림대학교 의과대학 사회의학교실) ;
  • 최용준 (한림대학교 의과대학 사회의학교실)
  • Received : 2016.11.06
  • Accepted : 2017.04.16
  • Published : 2017.05.31
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Abstract

Social medicine is recognized as one of medical specialties in many countries. However, social medicine has never been formally introduced to Korea, presumably because the term and its principles were not accepted for some years in the past in American medicine, which has strongly influenced Korean medicine. This paper describes the origins and evolution of social medicine and briefly discusses contemporary social medicine in Korea. Social medicine was initiated in France and Germany in 1848. Since then, it has expanded globally and developed in diverse ways. Included in core principles of social medicine is that social and economic conditions have important effects on health and disease, and that these relationships must be subjected to scientific investigation. The term 'social medicine' is rarely used in Korea, but many of its subject matters are incorporated into preventive medicine which, besides prevention, deals with population health that is inescapably social. However, the Korean preventive medicine directs little attention to the basic concepts and principles of social medicine, upon which systematic development of social medicine can be based. Thus, it is necessary to supplement the social medicine contents of preventive medicine through formalizing the linkages between the two fields. One way of doing so would be to change the title of 'preventive medicine' course in medical colleges to 'preventive and social medicine,' as in many other countries, and to adjust the course contents accordingly.

유럽의 많은 의과대학들은 사회의학을 교과목으로 개설하고 있으며, 미국에서는 일부 의과대학들이 사회의학을 department의 명칭에 사용하고 있다. 그러나 한국에서는 사회의학의 도입이 제대로 진행되지 못했다. 이는 한국 의학에 지대한 영향을 미친 미국 의학계가 한동안 그 용어와 원리를 수용하지 않았었기 때문일 것이다. 이러한 상황 인식을 바탕으로 1) 사회의학의 기원과 진화에 관하여 기술하고, 이어서 2) 한국 사회의학의 실상에 대하여 간략히 논의할 것이다. 사회의학은 1848년 프랑스와 독일에서 창시되어, 국제적으로 다양한 발전 과정을 거쳤다. 사회적, 경제적 여건이 건강, 질병 및 의료서비스에 미치는 영향이 심대하며, 따라서 그에 대한 과학적 연구가 필요하다는 것이 사회의학의 핵심적 개념에 속한다. 한국에서는 사회의학이 거의 사용되지 않는 용어지만, 그 내용은 의과대학 예방의학 교과과정에 도입된 상태이다. 그러나 이러한 내용적 수용은 사회의학에 대한 논의와 이해에 근거해서 이루어진 것이 아니므로 그 의의와 가치의 전달에 한계가 있다. 따라서 예방의학과 사회의학의 연계관계를 분명히 밝히고, 체계화하는 노력이 필요하다. 구체적으로는 의과대학 예방의학 과목의 명칭을 많은 나라에서처럼 예방사회의학으로 변경하고, 명칭에 부합하도록 내용을 조정 보완하는 방안을 검토할 필요가 있다.

Keywords

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