Family medicine is a relatively new area of specialization which evolved as a felt need in personal health care. Humanistic approaches to health of the whole family, broad-based care of the person rather than focusing on the disease, and improvement of quality of life are some pertinent concerns of the discipline. The family physician now functions as the core of the health care system in many countries. It is not a mandatory requirement that family practitioners in Sri Lanka have specialist qualifications, but working towards this goal would help to improve the quality of care. However, most family physicians in private practice cannot afford to enter a full-time training programme which leads to securing Board Certification as a specialist in Family Medicine. The MD family medicine by thesis programme is structured in such a way that would allow family physicians to enter into a study course which would not adversely impact on their practice. The MD by thesis programme in Family Medicine leading to Board Certification aims to equip health professionals with expertise in knowledge, skills and attitudes required of a specialist in family medicine. The course has been designed in a structured stepwise manner to develop participant’s competencies at several levels. The programme will also enable participants to design, deliver and conduct research. A clinical training component has been incorporated into the post MD course to enable the general practitioner to update his/ her knowledge on current clinical practice management and skills.

This five-year course (three years for MD by thesis and a further two years for Board Certification) is designed for family physicians who are in full time general practice, holding the Diploma in Family Medicine, and who wish to pursue Family Medicine as a career.

A Board-Certified Specialist in Family Medicine shall demonstrate a range of learning outcomes:

• Scholarship in health professions’ education: In addition to the comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge acquired in Family Medicine, the trainee will have a detailed knowledge and understanding of one or more specific areas in Family Medicine.
• Methodological approaches: The graduate will be competent in research methodologies appropriate to Family Medicine.
• Application of knowledge and understanding: Through the MD thesis, the trainee will demonstrate competence in specialized, advanced and evolving practice, including research in an area of Family Medicine. The graduate will create new knowledge and understanding and make an original contribution to the development of family practice. He/She will demonstrate an understanding of how the learning outcomes of the Family Medicine programme may be applied to inform judgments and to develop and advance ideas and/or practice.
• Generic skills: The trainee will be able to approach intellectual enquiry autonomously to analyze, synthesize, diagnose, design, plan, execute and evaluate at an advanced level. They will be able to do this to the extent necessary to critically review, consolidate and extend knowledge, skills, practices, and thinking.
• Communication, research and IT: trainee will show an ability to practice a wide range of advanced and specialized skills both generally and in Family Medicine. They will be able to communicate effectively with peers and senior colleagues, including specialists in Family Medicine.
• Practice skills: The trainee will be competent to deal with any problem encountered in a family /GP practice

The minimum requirements for admission to the programme leading to the MD Family Medicine shall be as follows:

a. An M.B.B.S. degree (or equivalent basic medical degree), registered with the Sri Lanka Medical Council

And

b. Have passed the Diploma in Family Medicine examination of the PGIM

And

c. Be a full-time general practitioner and have five years of active professional experience in General/ Family practice acceptable to the PGIM during the 10 years preceding the date of application

The maximum number of trainees admitted to the training programme during a given year will depend on the availability of supervisors and the decision of the BoS in Family Medicine. A supervisor may be assigned to more than one trainee if the need arises.