On December 11th, 2015 Ottawa-Shanghai Family Medicine Education Symposium was held at Renji Hospital, which was co-organized by Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Ottawa-Shanghai Joint School of Medicine (OSJSM) and Faculty of Medicine University of Ottawa. Dr. FANG Ningyuan, Director of the Geriatrics Department of Renji Hospital and the Training Base of Family Medicine Residents, hosted the symposium. Family medicine educators from the affiliated hospitals of SJTUSM, Shanghai Mental Health Center and over 20 community health care centers attended the symposium to discuss the family medicine education situations and models in Canada and China and share the teaching experience.
Dr. LI Weiping, President of Renji Hospital made the opening address. He mentioned that the establishment of the family medicine discipline and the family medicine system is an important part of the current reforms in medical care system and medical education. Ottawa-Shanghai Joint School of Medicine seized the opportunity to introduce the advanced Canadian family medicine education system to China. In this way, the medical students get exposed to family medicine at an early stage and can grow their interest in family medicine by rotating at the International Family Medicine Clinic at Renji Hospital and the community health care centers. This pioneer model will invigorate family medicine education in China.
At the symposium, Mr. LIU Hongwei, Director of the Primary Care Office from Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning presented the report on community health practice in Shanghai and its prospect. Based on the historical development, the characteristics and effectiveness of community health care service, Mr. Liu pointed out the direction for future development: with the family medicine system as the core, health management as the main method, cultivation of family medicine professionals as the support and community health care service platform as the foundation, collaboration between medical organizations at all levels and regional informatization as the facilitator, we will promote the efficiency and orderliness of the medical care system.
Then, Dr. Peter Kuling,Assistant Professor of Family Medicine with the University of Ottawa and the Associate Lead Physician with the Ottawa Hospital Academic Family Health Team,and Dr. Dianne Delva, Professor and Chair Department of Family Medicine, respectively gave a presentation: “Unlocking the Potential of Family Medicine“ and “Family Medicine Undergraduate and Postgraduate Program”. They emphasized that family doctors are the “goalkeepers” for the medical care system, facing the individuals, families and the communities. Family doctors are medical experts, communicators, managers, scholars, professionals, collaborators and health advocators.
The establishment and enhancement of the family medicine discipline is the requisite for the further development of family medicine education. The participants brought up many constructive suggestions and made productive interactions with each other.
Reporter Chao Meng , Translator Yuanyuan Zhang