Family doctor and the changing times

Updated on: Monday, January 09, 2012

Decades ago, families used to have a one-stop contact when diseases and illnesses were concerned - the family physician. In time, with the rise in individual specialisations in medicine, the concept gradually ceased to exist. However, the family physician is about to make a come-back if the PG in 'family medicine,' a three-year programme whose curriculum has been prepared by the Medical Council of India (MCI), is adopted by medical colleges.

Dr KK Talwar, chairman, Board of Governor's , MCI, says, "The idea is to create an MD in family medicine, like it is prevalent in European and American countries . This concept is gaining importance because the society today wants specialists and is not very confident with MBBS degree holders alone. We will have doctors who will be specialised and qualified to look at the family medicine vertical in totality. The course will begin once the medical colleges are ready/willing and approach us for the same."

Talwar says that a doctor with this qualification will be conversant with most speciality areas like paediatrics , gynaecology, medicine including a few surgical procedures so that he or she is capable of handling the routine health needs of families. More complicated issues that need attention will be handled by specialists as per specific requirements.

Dr Anupam Sibal, group medical director, Apollo Hospitals Group, says, "The course will offer a holistic perspective of the various branches and will be a specialisation after the MBBS degree. For a family, having one doctor to consult is better than running across to six different specialists."

MCI has sent the curriculum of the PG course to all state governments and is awaiting colleges to show interest and start the programme.

Times of India

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