title: Family medicine training--the international experience.
abstract: Family medicine is undergoing dramatic transformation around the world. Its organisation, delivery, and funding are changing in profound ways. While the specifics of primary care reform vary, a common emerging strategy involves establishment of primary health care teams that provide improved access, use electronic records, are networked with other teams, and are paid using blended payment schemes. More family doctors are needed in all countries. New approaches beyond the traditional apprenticeships or residency programs will be required to meet global demand. Training of family doctors must change to prepare tomorrow's family physician for a different practice reality. Curricula are more competency-oriented, rather than time-focused. Today's trainees can anticipate a career that includes periodic reassessment of their knowledge base and competency. This article explores these trends and offers some strategies that have proved effective in various parts of the world for training increased numbers of qualified family doctors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis, USA. richard.robertsATfammed.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Vincent R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Teresa I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Kulie
authors.forename: Wesley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schirmer
authors.forename: Tiago
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Villanueva
authors.forename: C Ruth
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D003162:Competency-Based Education; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education* / Q000639:trends; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational