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Abstract

Despite a long-standing association and promise for a closer alliance in the future, considerable ambiguity surrounds the current participation of social workers in medical education. A nationwide study was conducted to obtain a comprehensive, up-todate profile of social work faculty employed by medical schools-- their total number, demographic characteristics, department affiliations, primary specialties, methods and content areas of academic instruction, etc. An accompanying study focused on the opinions of medical school Deans concerning the present and future status of social work faculty in medical education. Attention has been given to social work education in relation to health care practice. Another study focused on the role of social work faculty in medical schools.

The above studies strongly suggest an increase of recognition and acceptance of the value of social work involvement in medical education. And, if social workers are to practice effectively and efficiently in medical social work settings, we as social work educators and practitioners must know what appropriate knowledge and/or skill areas we should be teaching graduate social work students who desire to become medical social work faculty. We must also know how continuing education programs in graduate schools of social work could help medical social work faculty once employed by medical schools. However, no empirical studies have focused on these two issues. Thus, the purpose of this article is to present the results of an empirically based research project that will shed new data on these issues.

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