医学院越来越注重超越个体患者的即时需求，关注整个人群的需求。本研究考察了医学院及其附属的人群健康部门和相关项目的特点，以及这些项目如何满足学院的教育、临床护理、研究和服务使命。通过对医学院网站进行结构化评论，确定了人群健康部门和相关项目。随后向这些项目的一个子集分发了在线调查，以收集有关其活动和组织特点的详细信息。作者召集人群健康项目的负责人一起讨论核心主题。在对154个医学院网站进行审查后，发现了37个（24％）有附属人群健康项目的学校，其中28个（18％）设有专门的人群健康系。各个系报告了与本科医学教育、研究生学位项目和涉及各种人群健康领域（包括公共卫生、健康管理、流行病学、生物统计学、信息学和研究方法）的证书项目相关的各种教学活动。大多数系都进行研究，其中大部分研究得到了来自联邦资金的重要支持，许多系在临床和翻译研究机构以及癌症中心扮演重要角色。大多数系与附属的卫生系统进行研究、数据共享和其他合作。所有系都开展社区服务活动，包括支持对新冠疫情的响应活动。人群健康项目在医学院和学术医疗中心的教学、临床护理、研究和社区服务使命中扮演着越来越重要的角色。

Schools of medicine are increasingly focusing on efforts beyond the immediate needs of individual patients and addressing the needs of whole populations. This study examined the characteristics of population health departments and related programs within, and affiliated with, schools of medicine and how these programs address the schools' educational, clinical care, research, and service missions. Structured reviews of school of medicine websites were used to identify population health departments and related programs. An on-line survey was distributed to a subset of these programs to capture details on their activities and organizational characteristics. The authors convened leaders of population health programs to elaborate on core themes. Of 154 school of medicine websites reviewed, 37 (24%) had affiliated population health programs, including 28 (18%) with distinct departments of population health. Departments reported a variety of teaching activities related to undergraduate medical education, graduate degree programs, and certificate programs addressing a variety of population health domains including public health, health administration, epidemiology, biostatistics, informatics, and research methods. Research was a core activity for most departments with significant support coming from federal funding, with many playing major roles in clinical and translational research institutes and cancer centers. Most departments had research, data sharing, and other collaborations with affiliated health systems. All departments engaged in community service activities, including activities supporting the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Population health programs are playing an increasingly important role in the teaching, clinical care, research, and community service missions in schools of medicine and academic medical centers.