Primary focus on population

Primary focus on individual

Public service ethic, as an extension of concerns for the individual

Personal service ethic, in the context of social responsibilities

Emphasis on disease prevention and health promotion for the whole community

Emphasis on disease diagnosis, treatment, and care for the individual patient

Public health paradigm employs a spectrum of interventions aimed at the environment, human behavior and lifestyle, and medical care

Medical paradigm places predominant emphasis on medical care

Variable certification of specialists beyond professional public health degree

Uniform system for certifying specialists beyond professional medical degree

Lines of specialization organized, for example by:
• analytical method (epidemiology, toxicology)
• setting and population (occupational health, international health)
• substantive health problem (environmental health, nutrition)

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 major threats to the health of populations; research moves between laboratory and field

Biological sciences central, stimulated by needs of patients; research moves between laboratory and bedside

Numerical sciences an essential feature of analysis and training

Numerical sciences increasing in prominence, though still a relatively minor part of training

Social sciences an integral part of public health education

Social sciences tend to be an elective part of medical education