The Department of community medicine commences its teaching program for medical undergraduates in their
5th semester and continues up to the end of 8th semester.
Community medicine Curriculum consists of institutional activities and field programs.
Institutional activities include lectures (L), Small group discussions (SGD) Seminars (S) and self directed learning (SDL).
The field programs include:-
1. The family attachment (FA) program
2. Clerkship program (CP)
3. Research activity (RA)
Family Medicine
Family medicine is the discipline on which family practice is based. It is a specialty which provides continuing and comprehensive health care for individual and family. It incorporates the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are necessary for family physicians to deal with problems brought to them by patients and their families.
Family medicine is a specialty in breadth, and not one in depth. The Family Physician / General Practitioner is a generalist, who provides services for all ages, and both sexes managing all health problems, complaints and questions about illnesses presented to him / her. He / she should have the necessary knowledge and skills to inquire, examine and assess the complaints, and health related problems presented to him / her and manage them. Sometimes he / she has to make a decision to refer the patient to a specialist for opinion / advice or care.
The Family Medicine unit of the Department of Community Medicine was established in 2012. Teaching program for medical undergraduates begins in the 6th semester and continues up to the end of 7th semester. The students will be exposed to a wide range of health issues that affect most of the people most at most times. Clinical exposure will be provided to students to observe, identify & to practice skills useful for a Family Physician.
The vision of our ‘Family Medical Centre’ is to be a ‘family friend’, focusing on the wellbeing of patients and their families. Any patient, who needs specialized care at a secondary or tertiary level, would be referred to the relevant specialists. However, such patient’s follow-up and monitoring will continue through the ‘Family Medical Centre’. Patient education on health and family problems, health promotion and preventive activities will get special attention.
