Community medicine in saudi arabia - Essay Example

Community Medicine in Saudi Arabia Medicine is one of the professions that have evolved through history. A medical practitioner may specialize in pediatrics, medicine, general surgery or obstetric and gynecology. However, family medicine emerged in Europe and Canada during the 1950s which helped the developing countries. Community medicine is used interchangeably or in connection with family medicine. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), community medicine refers to a specialization in clinical field being provided at primary care level by board certified family physicians and trained general practitioners (Al-Shehri, 1328).

With the birth of community medicine, the first department of primary care in a military hospital was established in late 1970s and later known as family and community medicine. The most significant breakthrough in the field of family and community medicine was the establishment of the Saudi Board of Family and Community Medicine in 1995. Applicants for family and community medicine program underwent a four-year internship, followed by final examination from the board, fifteen months of training to designated centers, and accomplishing specialties and sub-specialties in the hospital.

Health practitioners’ interests in family and community medicine became evident in 2003 when almost 80 candidates compete for the limited training posts in King Abdul-Aziz Medical City residency training programs at National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, KSA. In fact, most of the hospitals and health affairs in KSA have family and community medicine or primary care departments. The developmental breakthrough achieved by family and community medicine as a clinical specialty will require further studies on the nature and characteristics of family and community medicine.

Work Cited Al-Shehri, Ali M. “Family and Community Medicine in Saudi Arabia. Development and Future.” Saudi Medical Journal 25.10 (2004): 1328-1330. Retrieved from http://www.smj.org.sa/DetailArticle.asp?ArticleId=2056