AAPI leaders call for Family Practice Specialized Medical Education in India

iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-

The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), which has been leading efforts to help streamline medical education in India to meet global standards, stressed the importance of Family Practice Specialized Medical Education in India during a meeting with Indian government officials at the Global Healthcare Summit in New Delhi on October 18, 2024.

The AAPI delegation, led by Dr. Sateesh Kathula, President of AAPI, Dr. Lokesh Edara, Past Chairman of AAPI BOT and Global Medical Education, and Dr. Vasu Singh, AAPI Regional Director, met with Dr. Vinod Paul, Medical Director of NITI Aayog and the leadership council at the National Institute for India Transformation (NITI) Aayog Bhavan.

AAPI is an umbrella organization with nearly 160 local chapters, specialty societies, and alumni organizations. For over 41 years, Indian physicians have made significant contributions to health care in this country, not only practicing in inner cities, rural areas and peripheral communities but also at the top medical schools and other academic centers. Almost 10%-12% of medical students entering U.S. schools are of Indian origin. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, AAPI represents the interests of over nearly 200,000 physicians, medical students and residents of Indian heritage in the United States.

Dr. Kathula spoke to the Indian officials about replicating the model of family medicine of the U.S. and emphasized the need to expand family medicine departments and postgraduate seats in India. He also shared the benefits of having family medicine in rural areas and small cities and making a 2-3 year residency program mandatory after the 5 1/2 years of medical education similar to the United States to improve the quality of care.

“Family medicine should not be a gatekeeper for referrals to specialists but rather they should be taking care of most of the medical conditions including Pediatric and Obstetrics and Gynecology patients. In addition, he recommended creating incentives such as offering sub-specialties like geriatrics, and palliative care similar to the U.S., to attract more doctors towards family medicine. There should be a clear distinction between general medicine and family medicine, and the name of general medicine should be changed to internal medicine to avoid confusion,” Dr. Kathula suggested.

In his presentation to the Indian officials, Dr. Lokesh Edara highlighted how in the United States and United Kingdom, 25% of Post Graduate Medical Seats are allocated to Family Practice. He advocated that India allocate a minimum of Rs. 25,000 per year to Family Practice PG Medical students, which will significantly enhance healthcare in India. Describing the initiative as “a historic milestone and a testament to the commitment of AAPI towards Global Medical Education,” Dr. Lokesh Edara said, “This strategic move is crucial for strengthening primary healthcare and addressing the needs of diverse populations across the country.”

“AAPI is a powerful platform for advocacy in healthcare. By collaborating and leveraging our collective voices, we can effectively advocate for policies and initiatives that enhance healthcare access, improve education, and support the well-being of communities in India and the U.S.,” Dr. Edara added.

Top government officials of India and NITI Aayog expressed their support for such initiatives and shared their openness to incorporate these suggestions aimed at aligning with the vision for 2047, ensuring that every family in India receives care from a trained postgraduate in Family Medicine. Dr. Vinod Paul added that most MBBS doctors are choosing specialization and there is a concern that not many primary care doctors will be left to take care of the rural population. He said that there are very few postgraduate seats in Family Medicine courses of India compared to the U.S., UK, Australia, and other developed nations.

AAPI Global Medical Education has led this effort of taking the delegation to the India’s National Board of Examinations in Medical Science NBEMS (nbe.edu.in) which conducts examinations for 1.8 million students. NBEMS conducts the UG entrance examination across India and the PG NEET entrance examination for 200,000 students annually.

Dr. Vasu Singh of AAPI urged the Indian government and NITI Aayog to increase family medicine PG seats and nationalized formative assessment tests for all postgraduates. He urged the officials to hold post-graduate exit theory examinations and suggested computerized online tests, and nationwide e-learning systems for better knowledge dissemination in medical education.

“Excellence gained through long-term vision, insight and hard work and exchange of ideas and challenges will benefit the medical education system in India and help medical graduates coming from India to earn recognition in the U.S.,” Dr. Kathula added.