The Aga Khan University Medical College has signed an agreement with the World Health Organization, Pakistan to raise the standards of practice in family medicine across Pakistan.
Family physicians cater to the health needs of people of all ages and gender across their lifespan. They offer comprehensive care which not only includes management of acute and chronic diseases, but also incorporates health promotion and disease prevention. In Pakistan, eight out of 10 patients seek care from general practitioners, who often enter the workforce right after undergraduate education, and must learn on the job while caring for patients.
Recognising that most general practitioners are unable to enrol in structured training, the Department of Family Medicine launched a one-year certification course, FamMed Essentials, in 2019 to offer busy practitioners the ability to update their knowledge and enhance their skills.
FamMed Essentials’ curriculum comprises of five modules: paediatric and adolescent care; reproductive health and genitourinary concerns; non-communicable diseases; infectious diseases and population health; and common surgical, rheumatologic and dermatologic issues faced in primary care. The modules are followed by a five-day hands-on skills training at AKU’s Centre for Innovation in Medical Education. The modular and blended learning style allows busy practitioners to continue working while learning, while robust assessments prepare participants for further qualifying examinations.
More than 100 participants have completed the course to date, including general physicians, final-year medical students, and master-level nursing students who plan to become advanced nurse practitioners in the field.
WHO projects that scaling up primary healthcare by strengthening family medicine could save 60 million lives in low and middle-income countries while increasing average life expectancy by 3.7 years by 2030. Strengthening Family Medicine is also in the Government’s strategy for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 3 that focuses on health and wellbeing for all. WHO’s endorsement of FamMed Essentials as a Regional Diploma in Family Medicine recognizes the need for capacity building to achieve this goal.
This article was updated on October 7, 2021.
The Aga Khan University Medical College has signed an agreement with the World Health Organization, Pakistan to raise the standards of practice in family medicine across Pakistan.
Family physicians cater to the health needs of people of all ages and gender across their lifespan. They offer comprehensive care which not only includes management of acute and chronic diseases, but also incorporates health promotion and disease prevention. In Pakistan, eight out of 10 patients seek care from general practitioners, who often enter the workforce right after undergraduate education, and must learn on the job while caring for patients.
Recognising that most general practitioners are unable to enrol in structured training, the Department of Family Medicine launched a one-year certification course, FamMed Essentials, in 2019 to offer busy practitioners the ability to update their knowledge and enhance their skills.
FamMed Essentials’ curriculum comprises of five modules: paediatric and adolescent care; reproductive health and genitourinary concerns; non-communicable diseases; infectious diseases and population health; and common surgical, rheumatologic and dermatologic issues faced in primary care. The modules are followed by a five-day hands-on skills training at AKU’s Centre for Innovation in Medical Education. The modular and blended learning style allows busy practitioners to continue working while learning, while robust assessments prepare participants for further qualifying examinations.
More than 100 participants have completed the course to date, including general physicians, final-year medical students, and master-level nursing students who plan to become advanced nurse practitioners in the field.
WHO projects that scaling up primary healthcare by strengthening family medicine could save 60 million lives in low and middle-income countries while increasing average life expectancy by 3.7 years by 2030. Strengthening Family Medicine is also in the Government’s strategy for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 3 that focuses on health and wellbeing for all. WHO’s endorsement of FamMed Essentials as a Regional Diploma in Family Medicine recognizes the need for capacity building to achieve this goal.
This article was updated on October 7, 2021.