There is an expectation that health professions schools respond to priority societal health needs. This expectation is largely based on the underlying assumption that schools are aware of the priority needs in their communities. This paper demonstrates how open-access, pan-national health data can be used to create a reliable health index to…

Universities have much to contribute to the improvement of health delivery, research, and teaching/learning. In progressing health reform, the Government should be mindful of the need to: (1) strengthen high quality medical research; (2) promote translation of research to teaching, population health and health services; and (3) address Health…

Since November 1, 1970, doctors in Quebec have been operating under a government-controlled compulsory and universal "fee-for-service" insurance plan. This article reviews resulting changes and examines implications for medical education of "global medicine," team care, external control of costs, and a new role for the…

A survey of Canadian and United States medical schools (n=98) on the uses and value of autopsy revealed that uses extend far beyond traditional ones to legal/judicial proceedings, vital statistics, epidemiological investigations, and public health and aid in understanding such complex matters as medical fallibility, medical uncertainty, and grief.…