MASTER OF MEDICINE IN FAMILY HEALTH              Main List |  Previous Page   | Next Page
(M.MED FAMILY HEALTH )
1.0 INTRODUCTION

Family Health is the discipline in the health care system providing continuous, comprehensive and coordinated care for individuals, families and communities. Family Health care integrates physiologic, socio-economic, cultural and spiritual parameters and is not limited by age, gender and organ system or disease entity.

The World Health Organization has identified the following barriers to equitable health care: unequal access to prevention and care, inefficient health care systems, rising costs, inappropriate emphasis on specialty rather than generalist training and maldistribution of the physician work force. The WHO acknowledges the Family Health practitioner as the physician most capable of overcoming these barriers.

The Schwartz report of 1995 documents similar issues in Kenya’s health care system. The report states that 80-90% of the population of Kenya has very limited resources to pay for health care. Schwartz recommends training accessible health care personnel for the rural poor who are able to provide low cost, preventive and curative care for the most prevalent diseases. These personnel need good patient communication and education skills in order to improve health promotion and disease prevention. The report further states that personnel should be trained in the collection and use of demographic and clinical research data that would encourage a more evidence-based, cost-effective medical practice in East Africa.

In line with the mission of the Moi University Faculty of Health Sciences, this programme will produce graduates who have improved their knowledge, practical and intellectual skills from M.B.Ch.B. holders so that they expertly fulfil their envisioned role to expertly manage most all conditions at the patient’s closest contact with the formal health care system. Family Health practitioners combine knowledge and skills from various specialities with a unique set of generalist skills to give personalised, up-to-date, accessible, quality and cost-effective care within a constantly changing environment.

The goal of the Masters of Medicine in Family Health programme is to prepare competent, caring and compassionate family health practitioners who are committed to serving their community. The focus is service at the community level.

By the end of the programme the graduate in Family Health should be able to:

a) DESIGN
The speciality of Family Health is, by its nature, the horizontal integration of all clinical specialities. This programme emphasizes this integration by having candidates follow patients longitudinally through out-patient and in-patient services. Questions and learning opportunities prompted from patient care are pursued using self-directed, life-long learning skills mastered in Part 1. Emphasis is placed on documenting competency in each clinical area.

Vertically integrated with their clinical care responsibilities, students participate in courses designed to help them develop their skills as providers of health care, learners, teachers and leaders. These courses bring together students from all levels of training and run longitudinally throughout the course of their training.

Significant community orientation is required to develop teaching and leadership skills. Community-based research is also emphasized through course work and research projects.

b) STRUCTURE
The curriculum is organized into two parts:

Part 1 is covered during the first academic year. Courses are in biomedical sciences and medical education. Longitudinal clinical work begins in out-patient and in-patient services. A research proposal is submitted. Candidates will normally pass Part 1 examinations before proceeding to Part 2.

Part 2 normally covers two academic years and stresses the expansion of clinical, learning, teaching and leadership knowledge and skills. Longitudinal clinical experiences continue and focussed clinical rotations build competencies where needed. Research data collection and analysis, and report writing and presentation are completed during this time.

PATIENT CARE
Using the apprenticeship model, most of a student’s time will be spent in direct patient care activities. This model will provide skill demonstrations and modelling of decision-making and relational skills as well as other aspects of the science and art of medicine. A problem-based learning approach and continuous feedback will encourage active learning. All registrars will complete required patient care competencies and will have the opportunity to work with a team in giving continuing, comprehensive, primary health care to a defined population.

SMALL GROUPS
Weekly sessions in each teaching venue will use morbidity and mortality conferences, journal clubs, patient studies, symptom modules, and others in a learner-centred approach.

LECTURES
Traditional lectures will also be used where appropriate, especially to give an overview of new information.

LEARNING PROJECTS
These projects will include comprehensive patient studies, quality improvement projects and systematic review projects, all of which will be presented in both written and oral form.

QUARTERLY SEMINARS
Regional and national seminars/workshops will be held four times per year. Discussion among students and preceptors of major themes in family health practice will follow from previously assigned reading materials or lectures. Problems presenting from patient care and selected learning projects will also be presented for discussion and education of other students from all training sites.

RESEARCH PROJECT
Quality care requires locally applicable, clinically focused, outcome-based research with which to guide practice decisions. Each student will be required to carry out clinically oriented research.

The University unit system of courses will be utilized.

Applicants for the programme shall normally:
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1.	Meet the common Moi University School of Graduate Studies and MUFHS entry requirements as they refer to Master of Medicine programmes
2.	Be a holder of the M.B.Ch.B. degree of Moi University or
3.	Be a holder of the M.B.Ch.B. degree or equivalent from other institutions recognized by Moi University Senate.
4.	Be registered or registerable as a medical practitioner by the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board of Kenya (MPDB).
5.	Have worked at least two years after internship.
6.	Pass admission interviews as determined by the Department Postgraduate Committee.

7.0 DURATION OF THE PROGRAMME

The Master of Medicine in Family Health programme will normally extend over a period of three years.

PART I
EXAM CODE	TITLE	EXAMINATION	DURATION
FHT 810	FAMILY HEALTH PAPER I	WRITTEN – MCQ	3.0 HRS.
FHT 812	FAMILY HEALTH PAPER II	WRITTEN – ESSAY	3.0 HRS.
FHT 814	FAMILY HEALTH PAPER III	SPOT TEST	1.5 HRS.
PART II
EXAM CODE	TITLE	EXAMINATION	DURATION
FHR 890	RESEARCH PROJECT	THESIS
FHT 830	FAMILY HEALTH PAPER I	WRITTEN – MCQ	3.0 HRS.
FHT 832	FAMILY HEALTH PAPER II	WRITTEN – ESSAY	3.0 HRS.
FHT 834	FAMILY HEALTH PAPER III	SPOT TEST	1.5 HRS.
FHT 836	FAMILY HEALTH PAPER IV	CLINICAL + ORALS	2.5 HRS.

AWARD OF THE DEGREE
The Master of Medicine in Family Health (M. Med. in F.H.) degree shall be awarded to that candidate who successfully completes the programme as outlined in this curriculum.

COURSE STRUCTURE

PART I
Course Code	Course Title	Units
MMB 801	Epidemiology and Biostatistics	4
MMC 810	Medical Ethics and Physicianship	2
MMR 801	Medical Research and Proposal Writing	7
FHC 810	Family Health Clinical Care I	27
	TOTAL	40

PART II
Course Code	Course Title	Units
CHM 803	Health Services Management and Health Policy	4
FHC 820	Symptom-based Learning	6
FHC 822	The Art of Family Health	8
FHC 830	Family Health Clinical Care II	36
FHC 832	Individual and Family Counselling	2
FHE 836	Elective Period	6
FHL 820	Clinician as Teacher	8
FHL 830	Community Leadership	2
MMR 899	Research Project Implementation	8
	TOTAL	80