WONCA (World Organization of Family Physicians) President Richard Roberts MD writes on Farewells, Patient/Physician Trust in his final column

"While we know little about patients' trust in doctors, we know less about doctors' trust in patients. Yet, doctors must trust patients throughout our interactions with them. Our diagnostic conclusions depend heavily on the history they provide. We rely on them to follow our treatment recommendations and to present for follow up as advised. Even though we learn techniques for exposing patients' hidden agendas and enhancing their adherence to treatment plans, most of the time we must believe what they tell us and have faith they will do what we ask.

A major challenge for health care in the future will be to address the widening gap in trust between patients and doctors. Even as our diagnostic acumen and technologies improve, rising and unmet patient expectations and the potentially greater and uncertain harms of new interventions will cause patients to be less trusting. Similarly, doctors will have less trust in patients who seem intent on getting what they want when they want it with little regard for those providing the service."

When bidding each other farewell, my West African friends like to say, "Good journey," to each other. I like this phrase because it suggests that our travel will have us re-connecting at some point in the future. "Goodbye" on the other hand gives no indication of whether we will ever meet again. I am as excited and confident about the future of Family Medicine as I have ever been. I know we will succeed in our quest to improve the world by assuring that every person has access to a quality family doctor. I look forward to joining you and others when we finally reach the top of that mountain. So, rather than "goodbye," I will close by saying, "good journey.""

Read the article in its entirety 

  

 

Rural Physicians - You Don't Have to Go it Alone

 
Rural physicians account for less than 20 percent of the AAFP's active membership, and that percentage is gradually shrinking.  

The trend in our membership is toward employed positions in urban areas. And although more than 11,000 family physicians are practicing in small towns, farming communities and other out-of-the-way places, it's easy to feel isolated when you are the only physician -- or one of the few -- in town.  

It also can leave small-town docs feeling like we don't have a voice in what the Academy is doing on behalf of family physicians.   

Rural Family Physician Resources 

Mark your calendar now for the 2013 MC-FP Examinations scheduled for November 2013.  

The online application for the November 2013 Examination will open in the summer of 2013.  

Dates for November exams are:

November 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Physicians may contact the ABFM Support Center with any questions: help@theabfm.org or 877-223-7437.