ABSTRACT
In many countries, family medicine (FM) training has been conducted mainly by senior family physicians alone. However, FM training in Singapore in the last 30 years has involved specialists working in close collaboration with family physicians. The areas in which specialists are currently involved include the training of FM trainees in tertiary hospitals, the Master of Medicine in Family Medicine [MMed (FM)] and Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (GDFM) programmes. This close relationship has been crucial in the continuing vocational and professional development of family physicians and in fostering closer collaboration between family physicians and specialists, thus ultimately benefiting patient care.
In the US, Canada and Australia, the postgraduate training of family physicians (FPs) involves the attachment of family medicine (FM) trainees to specialist departments, similar to the model currently employed in Singapore. Unlike Singapore, however, FM training outside these hospital attachments is largely administered by senior FPs with minimal input from specialist colleagues.
This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on “Download PDF” on top to view the full article.
