• Mind–body interactions in health and disease—focuses on the four primary pathways of disease (biological, behavioral, psychological, and social). Students need to recognize and understand the many complex interactions among these pathways that may be compromising a patient’s physical and/or mental health.

• Patient behavior—centers on behavioral pathways to promoting health and preventing disease. Educating medical students about behaviors that pose a risk to health will better equip them to provide appropriate interventions and influence patient behavior.

• Physician role and behavior—emphasizes the physician’s personal background and beliefs as they may affect patient care, as well as the physician’s own well-being.

• Physician–patient interactions—focuses on the ability to communicate effectively, which, as noted above, is a critical component of the practice of medicine.

• Social and cultural issues in health care—addresses what physicians need to know and do to provide appropriate care to patients with differing social, cultural, and economic backgrounds.

• Health policy and economics—includes those topics to which medical students should be exposed to help them understand the health care system in which they will eventually practice (although additional material regarding the U.S. health care system should be presented in the residency years).

• Mind–body interactions in health and disease

• Patient behavior

• Physician role and behavior

• Physician–patient interactions

• Social and cultural issues in health care

• Health policy and economics

The committee found that many barriers exist to incorporating the behavioral and social sciences into medical school curricula. Incorporating this material is a