Innovations in Family Medicine Education: Getting Students Involved and Training Young Family Doctors in Private Practice

Abstract

Our experience in Brazil shows that when medical students get in contact with family medicine in medical schools –which usually lacks the academic component of the discipline and the real practice of a family doctor in private practice- they don’t want to be part of it. Thus innovation is required to bring new leaders for our specialty, something that the private medical market is asking for. In this paper, the authors relate their experience in two different subjects. First, how to involve medicals students in the family medicine scenario. The value of exposing medical students to the real world of family practice (particularly in a country with little formal medical school experience in the discipline), demonstrates the broad perspective family doctors have and the basket of services they could be in charge. Students realize how family medicine core values, when put into practice, are good resources to become better physicians. Despite the specialty they will choose in the future, they consider family doctors as remarkable teachers who make the difference in their education. Second, how to prepare the young doctors who join SOBRAMFA staff for the growing opportunities in private practice in Sao Paulo (Brazil). They describe an innovative learning agenda composed by an assorted routine of regular meetings which permits to combine a busy work schedule with scientific learning, and develop competences, professionalism and perceive personal success in their lives.