Context: The paper challenges the historical novelty of the social-responsibilityof- medicine concept by reviewing the history of social medicine and its ethical novelty and highlighting that it is part of the medical identity. Analysis: The authors show that this concept involves asking ourselves how we can democratically determine health policies in general and medical education programs in particular. Lastly, they state that research and teaching in the field of human and social sciences play a valuable role in identifying changes in needs, values and health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]