title: How can medical schools contribute to bringing about health equity?
abstract: The role of medical schools is in a process of change. The World Health Organization has declared that they can no longer be ivory towers whose primary focus is the production of specialist physicians and cutting edge laboratory research. They must also be socially accountable and direct their activities towards meeting the priority health concerns of the areas they serve. The agenda must be set in partnership with stakeholders including governments, health care organisations and the public. The concept of social accountability has particular resonance for the Bar Ilan Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Israel's newest medical school, which was established with a purpose of reducing health inequities in the Region. As a way of exploring and understanding the issues, discussions were held with international experts in the field who visited the Galilee. A symposium involving representatives from other medical schools in Israel was also held to extend the discourse. Deliberations that took place are reported here. The meaning of social accountability was discussed, and how it could be achieved. Three forms of action were the principal foci - augmentation of the medical curriculum, direct action through community engagement and political advocacy. A platform was set for taking the social accountability agenda forward, with the hope that it will impact on health inequalities in Israel and contribute to discussions elsewhere.
authors.affiliation: Bar Ilan Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, POB 1589, Henrietta Szold 8, 1311502 Safed, Israel.
authors.forename: Mary Cj
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rudolf
authors.affiliation: Bar Ilan Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, POB 1589, Henrietta Szold 8, 1311502 Safed, Israel.
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: Association for Medical Education in Europe, 5 Meols Court, 6 Meols Drive, Hoylake, CH47 4AQ Wirral, UK.
authors.forename: Trevor J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.affiliation: University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, S10 2RX Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Murdoch Eaton
authors.affiliation: University of Glasgow, School of Medicine, Wolfson Medical School Building, University Avenue, G12 8QQ Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Equity, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, WC1E 7HB London, UK.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grady
authors.affiliation: University College London, Gower St, WC1E 6BT London, UK.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berlin
authors.affiliation: Imperial College London, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ London, UK.
authors.forename: Mitch
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.affiliation: Bar Ilan Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, POB 1589, Henrietta Szold 8, 1311502 Safed, Israel.
authors.forename: Jumanah
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Essa-Hadad
authors.affiliation: Bar Ilan Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, POB 1589, Henrietta Szold 8, 1311502 Safed, Israel.
authors.forename: Sivan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spitzer-Shohat
authors.affiliation: Bar Ilan Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, POB 1589, Henrietta Szold 8, 1311502 Safed, Israel.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weingarten
keywords: Advocacy; Community engagement; Health inequalities; Health inequity; Medical curriculum; Medical education; Medical schools; Social accountability