First lecture at IMA chalisgaon.Great feeling when people whom you admire in your childhood are your audience.

wisdom pearls by Dr. Bijayraj sir.....true guidance to those who want to opt family medicine by all means.:-)

PG- admission blues: Tips for FM-seekers.

Dear Friends,
Gone are the days when those who got poor ranks in PG-CETs used to opt for FM.
Over the last couple of years, in most good institutes, FM seats disappeared well before conventional specialities such as surgery, medicine, anesthesia etc in average places.

However, FM is not for everyone.

1. Do NOT take FM simply because you are not getting anything "better" .
Read up about FM on the net. FM has a lot of strengths and a few boundaries. Understand the concept. Depend on advice from those who KNOW about it, not from those who know nothing about it. Be careful who you seek advice from. Make an informed choice.

2. Do NOT take FM under the mistaken belief that it is "light" training.
In fact due to the vast scope of FM, it becomes crucial that you see as many patients as possible, spend as much time with teachers as possible, and know as much of real-life applications of medical knowledge as possible. In simple terms, it demands more efficient learning.

3. An odd FM-trained person here or there sporadically gives negative views about FM as a specialty.
The usual story in such cases is that - the person failed as a "person", and the specialty was never to blame. Not every Neurologist/Cardiologist etc is a smashing success; the same applies to FM too.
The problem with the the odd person who "failed" or "left" FM is that such people fail to look "within" and need something to deflect blames on. In all likelihood, such people never passed FM finals due to various reasons and "warn" others accordingly.
So again- be watchful. Seek balanced, unbiased opinions.

4. State/ National level Family Medicine CMEs are held every 6-12 months somewhere or the other.
Attend and interact with seniors to get a clearer idea what it is all about and what all is going on world-wide in the field of FM. While at it, don't be surprised with the strong, ubiquitous presence and progress of FM in several developed Nations.

5. Outside the syllabus, FM training demands a good attitude, willingness to learn from everything and everyone (humility), a highly logical thought process, ability to see, analyse and manage a variety of scenarios in practice, several managerial qualities, empathy, communication skills, patience and an open mind- some of these are traits which can be done away with in several other specialties, which need different personal aptitudes and skill sets.

As a career, FM is awesome; let there be NO DOUBT about this.
But if FM doesn't suit you as a person, better NOT take this .

Looking back, for example, the movie "Munnabhai MBBS" was all about Family Medicine! The movie exploited the public's desire for the need for doctors with technical + apt humane qualities, which was the basic message of the popular movie.

Scene: Dissection hall; Munnabhai, to the Dean:
" Dekh, apun ko na, ek "full-to" Doctor banneka hai. Specialist nahi- ke gale ke Doctor ko pata nahi, ke ghutne me kya chalrela hai".

Remember the cheering and whistling in the theatre to this dialogue?

If you love that kind of concept, go ahead, and join.
Otherwise, better look for something "better".

Cheers!