Who is the Department of Family Medicine?
The Department of Family Medicine is committed to and supports a holistic and family practice orientated approach to training medical doctors, equipped to render a high quality primary health care service, both in the private and public health sectors of South Africa. Personnel of the department are involved with training at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
What we believe in
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We believe in a holistic, family practice orientated approach. Future general practitioners and doctors in primary health care should be advocates for their patients and have a diversity of skills. We aim to develop skills in;
- counselling,
- effective communication,
- ethical behaviour,
- interpersonal relations and a team approach.
Our first priority is to be safe first contact physicians. To achieve this doctors must be skilled at emergency care and treatment. Doctors working in rural areas should have the clinical practical skills to function as first contact physicians skilled at performing surgical, obstetrical, and emergency procedures of high quality.
Our priority is the training and professional development of doctors for South Africa that can function and compete in any global health care setting. Evidence based medicine, practice based research and continuous professional development of doctors are our major objectives. We accept the challenge to be part of the development of an equitable, affordable health care system for South Africa.
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Vision
To be a world class department of Family Medicine, in providing quality, holistic primary health care (services), appropriate training to health care professionals and applied research to enable a healthy and self reliant community in the Free State and beyond.
Mission
Our mission - within the framework of the general mission of the University and the Faculty of Health Sciences and School of Medicine the Department of Family Medicine wishes to:
- provide excellent, relevant and cost-effective training in the field of Family Medicine at both undergraduate and post-graduate level, as well as continued education of the Family Medicine corps;
- undertake, support and encourage active research in the field of Family Medicine;
- provide and/or further Family Medicine based service in accordance with principles of primary health care to the community served by the academic hospital complex of Bloemfontein.
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Consultants 2009
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Objectives
The objectives of the Department of Family Medicine are:
Under graduate training:
- to introduce the medical student to the principles of Family Medicine as embodied in clinical family practice, family medicine and practice management;
- to familiarize him/her with the principles of ethical conduct and medical ethics
- to guide him/her in the acceptance of a holistic approach towards patient care;
- to familiarize the student with the clinical treatment of general ailments and emergencies, and
- to familiarize the student with the four basic levels of clinical treatment, namely furtherance, preventive, curative and rehabilitative medicine
Post-graduate training:
- to provide family practitioners with career based training by means of the development of their cognitive, perceptive and affective skills related to primary health care and based on the principles stated above;
Services:
- to provide extensive services to the community in the field of Family Medicine/Primary Care
Research:
- to do relevant research applicable to the discipline of Family Medicine with the aim to better services and reduce the incidence of disease in primary care
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CR de Wet Building
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The department of family medicine coordinates and supervises all medical services rendered in the district health complex of area DC 17 in the Free State. We render a comprehensive health care service adhering to primary health care principles but also act as gatekeepers to the 2nd and 3nd care levels. We take pride in the fact that we have a holistic approach towards patient care and act as advocates for our patients.
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