Teaching sociology to undergraduate medical students

Understanding the social basis of health and medicine and the contexts of clinical care are essential components of good medical practice. This includes the ways in which social factors such as class, ethnicity and gender influence health outcomes and how people experience health, illness and healthcare. In our Guide we describe what sociology is and what it brings to medicine, beginning with the nature of the ‘sociological imagination’. Sociological theory and methods are reviewed in order to explain and illustrate the role of sociology in the context of undergraduate medical education. Reference is made to A Core Curriculum for Sociology in UK Undergraduate Medical Education by Collett et al. (2016). Teaching and student learning are discussed in terms of organisation and delivery, with an emphasis on practice. Sections are also included on assessment, evaluation, opportunities and challenges and the value of a ‘community of practice’ for sociology teachers in medical education.