Education at the Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care
The Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care at Karolinska Institutet (KI) coordinates, quality-assures and delivers education for students and healthcare professionals in family medicine and primary care. Educational activities are provided at undergraduate, advanced and doctoral levels, as well as through continuing professional development.
Family medicine is a broad and rapidly expanding academic discipline at KI and forms the foundation of the clinical specialist competence required in primary care. The discipline is characterized by a holistic approach to patient care, where medical breadth, clinical decision-making and a biopsychosocial perspective are central components.
The Medical Programme
The Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care is responsible for a substantial part of the teaching within the six-year medical programme. Family medicine and primary care are integrated throughout the curriculum and contribute to teaching in 12 of the programme’s 18 courses and across 10 of its 12 semesters.
The Division is responsible for educational activities corresponding to approximately 15 weeks of clinical placements and arranges placements for around 3,000 medical students annually within primary care settings. The Division also holds responsibility for the final course of the medical programme, Clinical Medicine in Semester 12.
In the new six-year medical programme, the Division has an expanded role in teaching clinical skills, including consultation skills, clinical examination and clinical decision-making. Students are offered patient contact and supervised clinical training from an early stage, with a gradual progression in responsibility and independence throughout the programme.
National Learning Outcomes in Family Medicine
ITeaching in family medicine and primary care is based on the national learning outcomes in family medicine that have been jointly developed by all Swedish medical schools in collaboration with the Swedish Association of General Practice (SFAM). These outcomes define the knowledge, skills and professional attitudes expected of newly graduated physicians at the time of graduation.
The family medicine components throughout the medical programme are designed to progressively prepare students to achieve these national learning outcomes. Each course and semester has its own specific learning outcomes, adapted to the students’ stage of training, which contribute to their progression towards the nationally agreed outcomes.
The national learning outcomes include:
• a family medicine approach characterized by patient-centred care, continuity, holistic perspectives and management of clinical uncertainty
• knowledge of common diseases, symptoms, treatments and health-promoting interventions encountered in primary care
• clinical skills in history taking, physical examination, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up
• patient-centred consultation and effective communication with patients, relatives and healthcare professionals
• clinical reasoning and evidence-based decision-making
• collaboration with other healthcare professions and stakeholders within the healthcare system
• patient safety, medical ethics and professional conduct
• self-reflection, lifelong learning and continuous professional development
Other Educational Activities
Physiotherapy Programme
The Division contributes to teaching within the Physiotherapy Programme through lectures and seminars in family medicine as part of the course Health Care Theme: Medical Subjects 2 (7.5 credits) in Semester 4.
Advanced Level Education and Doctoral Training
The Division currently provides doctoral education for approximately 40 PhD students. It also runs a clinical research school in family medicine and primary care and offers stand-alone courses at the advanced level.
Continuing Professional Development and Commissioned Education
The Division offers continuing professional development and commissioned education for healthcare professionals working in primary care. A key principle is to build on the experiences and knowledge of patients, relatives and healthcare professionals and to integrate these perspectives into educational activities. Through close collaboration with healthcare providers, the Division contributes to knowledge development and quality improvement within primary care.