Family Medicine 360 - young doctors' exchanges

What it is:

Family Medicine 360 is a global, international exchange program for Junior Family Doctors and General Practitioners (within five years of completing residency training), who would like to experience Primary Health Care in a different country.

The program is intended to have a high educational value to differentiate itself from other types of exchanges, and will be based on a network that includes all relevant stakeholders needed to support such an initiative.

Why it exists:

The importance of vocational education and training exchanges between different countries has been recognized by several authorities and associations. Intercultural exchanges enable people to come closer and junior family doctors to learn from each other's experiences, problems and solutions.

Furthermore, this initiative also provides senior hosts with a magnificent opportunity to teach their viewpoints for the visitors and to learn from them.

How it is planned to work:

For four weeks, visitors undertake a clinical placement with the host’s Primary Health Care setting, to learn from it.

To provide some structure for the visitor’s learning experience, there will be learning objectives and outcomes, agreed to by both visitor and host. Participants will also be called upon to discuss their experience before and after the exchange in a final report.

Visitors are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs. Hosts are, of course, welcome to assist visitors in finding accommodation.

Background:

On the 27 June 2013, the first meeting for the development of a potential international exchange program took place at the 20th WONCA World Congress, in Prague. The meeting was organized after an open invitation to all the regions of WONCA. The objective was to explore the possibility of establishing a formative Exchange Program at a global level.

The members from the following Junior Family Doctors’ Movements were present:
• Julie Wood (AAFP);
• Kayode Alao (AfriWon Renaissance);
• Scott MacLean (First-Five Years in Canada);
• Shin Yoshida (representing the Rajakumar Movement);
• Pramendra Prasad (representing the Spice Route Movement);
• Ana Nunes Barata, Sara Rigon, Raquel Gomez-Bravo, Harris Lygidakis (Vasco da Gama Movement);
• Isabel Mora (representing the Waynakay Movement).

In addition, John Wynn-Jones from the WONCA Working Party on Rural Practice and Per Kallestrup, the founder of the Hippokrates Program, were also present.

Thanks to the great presence of members from all over the world, several topics were raised. All parties agreed that such a program would require high flexibility due to the diversities and inequalities that are observed worldwide. Cultural and linguistic issues may be initial barriers, but all parties agreed to work together with respect and true collaborative spirit in order to agree on a common action plan for the development of this project.

We need your help

Family Medicine 360 is only just starting, and we are always looking for anyone willing to help out with this project. Whether you want to be a host, or have ideas on how to obtain funding, or believe you could assist us in some way, please let us know! The benefits at a professional, personal, community, national and global level are unique and work as triggers for the development of Primary Health Care, which is in agreement with WHO's goal of universal health coverage for all.

• Africa (AfriWon Renaissance)
• Asia-Pacific region (Rajakumar Movement)
• Canada (First Five Years in Family Practice Committee)
• Central and South America (Waynakay Movement)
• Europe (Vasco da Gama Movement)
• South Asia (Spice Route Movement)
• USA (American Academy of Family Physicians)

To make suggestions or comments please contact

Dr Ana Nunes Barata
fm360@wonca.net

For further information please visit the FM360 webpage