International involvement

The Department of Family Medicine has faculty experienced in teaching family medicine in academic and clinical settings including:

• Russia
• CIS nations
• China
• El Salvador
• Japan
• Korea

Our experience has led to knowledge in cultural adjustment of medical expectations, relevance of transference of training to international settings, and the need for project- specific training goals. Under the leadership of Dr. Gerald Jogerst, an extensive family medicine training curriculum including medical training, business administration, and teaching methodology was developed with USAID support in 1995 for use in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Clinical and Educational Consultation

The Department of Family Medicine has provided clinical and educational consultation in several settings in Russia including the St. Petersburg Medical Academy of Post Graduate Studies, the Russian State Medical University and Russian American Family Medicine Center/Medicina Clinic, Moscow, and the Schuchye community hospital, Kurgan Oblast, Russia. We have worked with various agencies including the American International Health Alliance, IREX and private funders on these projects.

Research Initiatives

The Department of Family Medicine has been involved in international research initiatives since 1994. Current interests include:

• The effectiveness of family medicine in international communities
• Doctor-patient communication
• Geriatric functional assessment
• Cross-cultural standards of pediatric health assessments
• Use of telemedicine in geriatric institutional settings
• Cross-cultural use of pharmaceuticals to treat hypertension
• Clinical applications of evidence-based medicine

Hosting of International Colleagues

Under the leadership of Dr. Gerald Jogerst, associate department head and director of international programs for the Department of Family Medicine, international physicians have been accepted for observational visits to our department. Visitors have included scholars from

• Russian State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
• Medical Academy of Post-Graduate Studies, St. Petersburg, Russia
• Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
• Kameda Medical Center, Kamogawa, Japan
• St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan
• Bureau for Social Development, Pudong Area, Shanghai, China
• Albert Szent Gyorgyi Medical University, Szeged, Hungary

Criteria used for consideration of requested visits include goals and career background of the individual requesting the visit, potential for long-term development of international family medicine, and dates requested. Past exchanges have included university rectors, hospital administrators, researchers, clinicians, teachers of family medicine, public health officials, nurses and residents. A fee is charged for these exchanges in order to partially cover costs incurred. For more information concerning an observational visit, please email the family medicine international coordinator.

Sponsorship of International Family Medicine Conferences

The Department of family medicine has cosponsored two international symposiums focusing on Russian and CIS Family Medicine initiatives with the Russian State Medical University and Medicina Clinic in Moscow.

• Family Medicine Today: Experience and Outlook. Moscow, September 2001.
• Family Medicine in Russia and the U.S.: Perspectives on the 21st Century. Moscow, September 1999.

Participation in National Task Forces

Various faculty members in the Department of Family Medicine are members of WONCA, STFM, and AAFP task forces focusing on America/Russia collaborations and America/China family medicine projects.