Diploma in Family Medicine

Course Duration : One year (12 months) – 9 months Online study and 3 months of contact program at Accredited Apollo Hospitals.

Eligibility Requirements : MBBS degree with MCI registration.

Selection Criteria : Those fulfilling the eligibility criterion will be called for a personal/ telephonic interview following which the admission list will be drawn.

Course Fee : Rs.55,000

Course Objectives

• To have the knowledge and skills to provide comprehensive and continuing care for patients in all age groups.
• To consider illness in psychological and social terms and not just in physical ones.
• To acknowledge clinical uncertainty and to ensure safe and effective management decisions for patients.
• To understand the principles of continuity of care, of the gatekeeper function and of appropriate, timely referral.
• To possess adequate knowledge of computers and their application in clinical practice.

Content

• Primary health care: features; organization; global perspective.
• Dimensions of continuity of care, and the family doctor as gatekeeper.
• Problem oriented patient records.
• Co-ordination of care and making effective referrals. Illness and disease: case studies.
• Dealing with uncertainty.
• Principles of health promotion activity.
• The doctor's role in prevention of smoking; sexually transmitted disease; any other relevant health problem(s).
• Use of medical literature; computer skills.
• Principles of Quality Assurance and practice audit.

Clinical Skills List

The following is a list of skills, which a trainee would be expected to have acquired by the end of a three year residency programme, Clearly it will not be possible to ensure that all skills are mastered in a three month programme, but they should be issued as a form of check list which the general practitioner/family physician can then ensure he masters over a period of time in clinical practice. Many of the more basic skills will already have been mastered during previous medical service, in which case the skills should be assessed for currency and proficiency.

1. Basic Skills

• Observation.
• Palpation.
• Percussion.
• Auscultation.
• ENT (ORL) examination, including otoscopy.
• Ophthalmoscopy.
• Rectal examination.
• Vaginal examination.

2. Extended Skills

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Tests of vision and visual fields.
• Hearing tests.
• Tests of respiratory function (including peak expiratory flow).
• Vaginal examination with speculum.
• Rectoscopy.
• Indirect laryngoscopy.
• ECG examination.
• Cutaneous tests.

3. Treatment Skills

• Injections (intravenous; intramuscular; intradermal; subcutaneous).
• Venous and vesical catheterisation.
• Nasogastric and endotracheal intubation.

4. Other Treatments

• Aural cleansing.
• Minor surgery procedures (including incision and drainage of abscesses and cysts and extraction of foreign bodies).
• Reduction of dislocations.
• Immobilization of fractures.
• Techniques of haemostasis.
• Bandaging.
• Simple techniques of rehabilitation.

Speciality wise Requirements

Internal Medicine

• To be able to identify ECG changes in common situations of ischaemia and rhythm
  disturbance.
• To read and interpret a chest X-ray.
• To carry out fundoscopy in cases of hypertension and diabetes.
• To carry out a rectal examination and interpret the findings.
• To carry out a summary neurological examination.

Pediatrics

• To carry out examination of newborn infants.
• To assess child development.
• To diagnose and treat urinary tract infections and to arrange appropriate follow-up.
• To diagnose and treat common upper respiratory tract infections.
• To recognize and manage common childhood infections.

Gynecology

• To perform routine gynecological examination.
• To carry out routine breast examination.
• To perform cervical screening techniques.
• To be able to insert an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD).

Obstetrics

• To examine the pregnant woman and to interpret the data according to the gestation of the foetus.
• To be able to recognize and manage threatened abortion, premature labor and premature rupture.
• To prevent and/or treat common post delivery problems.
• To perform a postnatal examination.

Assessment

Internal Assessment

Online module wise internal assessments. Minimum percentage required is 60% to be eligible for the 3-month contact program at any one of the Accredited Apollo Hospitals Centers.

External Assessment

1) Paper I Theory ( 100 marks )

2) Paper I MCQs ( 100 marks )

Viva

To be conducted by a panel consisting of the RCGP representative, an internal examiner and an external examiner. The RCGP representative would be the overall assessor and accreditor.

Criteria For Certification

• Minimum Attendance of 90% in theory & clinical sessions.
• Completion of log book.
• Completion of Project work.

Fee Structure

Total Course Fee : Rs.55,000

1st installment : Rs.30,000 on admission

2nd installment : Rs.25,000 before the contact program