Twenty years of academic family medicine departments in Turkey: an overview on the developmental process

Abstract

Objective: Academic departments of family medicine have made significant contributions to the medical schools and medical education within the last 20 years in Turkey. The aim of this study was to define the current situation of academic family medicine departments and assess their developmental aspects.

Methods: This study, which is a cross-sectional survey, is based on data obtained from the head or a faculty member of family medicine departments by interviewing face to face or via telephone or by communicating on internet. Of 63 family medicine departments at universities, 60 have been reached and data have been obtained from 58 departments between June and December, 2013.

Results: There were 177 faculty members in 58 family medicine departments, with 27 professors, 56 associate professors, 54 assistant professors and 40 other staff. The heads of 45 departments were specialists in family medicine. The family medicine departments were chaired by professors of family medicine in 12 universities; professors of other medical disciplines led nine departments. Family medicine was part of the undergraduate medical curriculum in 45 universities. Thirty departments had clerkship programs of family medicine in the clinical years of undergraduate medical education while 44 departments had lectures of family medicine. The specialist training in the field of family medicine was conducted in 43 medical schools at university level. None of the departments had practice within the organization of family practice (primary care settings). Forty one departments had 77 outpatient clinics, 64 of which were in the university hospital setting and 13 in the community setting.

Conclusions: During the last 25 years family medicine in Turkey has been formally recognized as a medical specialty and an academic discipline. Teaching of family medicine in Turkish universities has a relatively well-established position. The development of academic family medicine departments within the last 20 years is at a level comparable with many countries in Europe. The most important priority of the family medicine departments in the next 10 years seems to establish the academic teaching practices and strengthen the relations with family physicians in family practice.