The "family physicians" a vanishing tribe and an acute need to train and save them.

[Dr Kuldeep]

Hello everyone!
I have got one message and would like to share with you all--This will
also provide us with some food for thought. We also have to weigh the
pros and cons of departmentalisation of Medical education and
weightage of subjects.

Dr Thomas Chacko, HOD Community Medicine, PSG Coimbatore wrotes on
22nd October 2008-

"We could start with discussion on the issue listed at srNo 14:

The "family physicians" a vanishing tribe and an acute need to
train and save them.

This is simply because now nobody wants to remain just an MBBS doctor
and all of the MBBS doctors are struggling and getting stressed out to
get a PG and so the choice of medical profession among the young
aspirants is dwindling.

The solution could be having an "äutomatic" PG program for family
practice as an extension of MBBS and only those who want other
specialities could opt out with just MBBS.


Thomas Chacko
PSG Coimbatore "


No.MCI-7(9)/2007-Med./(Platinum Jubilee)/29238 Dated:24.01.2008

To
The Principal/Dean, All Medical Colleges.
The Director Health Services/Medical Education & Research, All
State
Governments.
The Director General Health Services, New Delhi
The Director General Armed Forces Medical Services, New Delhi
All the Members of the Medical Council of India

Subject:- Celebration of Platinum Jubilee Year of the Medical Council
of India in 2008.

** ** **
Sirs,

The Medical Council of India was established in 1934 following the
passing of the IMC Act,1933 with the main function of establishing
uniform standards of higher qualifications in medicine and recognition
of medical qualifications both undergraduate and postgraduate levels
in India and abroad. The main objective of the Council is to maintain
the uniform standards of medical education and maintaining of Indian
Medical Register of doctors.

The Platinum Jubilee Year i.e. 75th year of the Council is going to
start from February,2008.

The Executive Committee of the Council at its meeting held on
29.12.2007 wherein the members of the Adhoc Committee appointed by the
Hon'ble Supreme Court were also present has decided that the
celebrations of Platinum Jubilee year of the Council should be carried
out with full gusto.

A Sub-Committee has also been constituted for celebrating the Platinum
Jubilee of the Council during 2008/2009.

The Sub-Committee at its meeting held on 10.01.2008 has decided that
activities related with medical education and connected with the aims
and objectives of the Council should be carried out in different
places and in different subjects as part of the Platinum Jubilee Year
Celebrations.

It is with this view that all the medical institutes in the country
are invited to hold atleast one scientific meeting/symposium/seminar
on a topic of contemporary importance and relevance in the field of
medical education and ethics at local/regional level on a topic of
contemporary importance and relevance in the field of medical
education and ethics. A list of suggested topics is as follows:-

1. Perceptible gaps in Medical Education - Objectives vis-a-vis
Regulations.
2. Are our current regulations addressing the need of producing
"Physicians of first contact"?
3. Reaching Healthcare to the hitherto unserved through medical
education.
4. Do we need to restructure our Medical Education to develop an
integrated system unique to the Indian needs?
5. Are our present regulations triggering decline in ethics
amongst
the medical fraternity?
6. Do we need Information Communication Technology to augment our
efforts at Medical Education?
7. Should the spirit of Scientific Enquiry ("Research") be made
an
integral part of medical curriculum both at undergraduate and
postgraduate level?
8. How will our doctors be effective and efficient leaders of the
health team?
9. Interventions to arrest the receding doctor : patient
relationship.
10. Mismatches in the training capacity and demand of medical/
health
manpower with reference to prevailing and emerging disease pattern.
11. Status of manpower available in the country with their
specialization in order to project manpower planning and development
and tailor it to be in sync with the needs of the people.
12. Role of MCI in manpower planning and development.
13. Quality of General Medical Practice in India.
14. The "family physicians" a vanishing tribe and an acute need to
train and save them.
15. Impact of ill health vs cost of health on economic development
of
a newly emerging power.
16. The economics of healthcare in the Indian scenario.
17. Changes in teaching methodology in view of recent developments
and
expansion of internet/information technology.
18. Ethical issues with regard to doctor patient relationship.
19. Objective structured practical and clinical examinations.
20. Micro teaching.
21. Simulated patient management and problem based learning.
22. Need for periodical curriculum revision.
23. Health Manpower needs - the current mismatch.
24. Effect of globalisation and market economy on medical/health
care.
25. Scope of telemedicine.
26. How to achieve equity in health care
27. Opening up medical education to foreign institutions.

You are requested to organize a scientific meeting/symposium /seminar
on a suitable topic of contemporary importance and relevance in the
field of medical education and ethics during the year as a part of the
celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee Year of the Council on a topic
from the list shown above.

You are also requested to intimate the Council at least a month before
the date of proposed workshop so that representative of the Council
can be sent to attend the meeting/symposium/seminar. You are further
requested to send the report of the meeting/symposium/seminar to the
Council soon after it is organized.

Your organized co-operation would be highly appreciated in making the
Platinum Jubilee Year Celebrations of the Council a grand success.
Yours faithfully,


(Lt.Col.(Retd.) Dr. A.R.N. Setalvad)
Secretary

C.C.: Dr. P.C.Kesavankutty Nayar, President (Acting), Medical Council
of India, 'Alaknanda', TC 1/1986(I), Kumarapuram, Trivandrum-695011.


With regards,

Dr Kuldeep Singh
Professor and Head,
Pediatrics
SAIMS,
Indore