Family and Social Medicine - Residency Programs - What is Social Medicine - New York City - Montefiore Medical Center

The roots of social medicine can be traced back to Rudolf Virchow, who stated eloquently that "the physician is the natural advocate of the poor." Social medicine seeks to improve health through:

• Clinical care
• Community outreach
• Research
• Advocacy

It is, in short, social activism in the best possible way.

The Residency Program in Social Medicine teaches all these skills as residents learn what it means to be a clinician concerned with both individual and social change.