Why Family and Community Medicine is the Comprehensive Medicine of the Future: Insights from a La Rioja Resident

2023-05-14 06:48:45

When Lucía Peña passed the Resident Internal Medicine (MIR) exam four years ago, it was only clear to her that she wanted to develop her specialty in La Rioja. “I knew that I wanted to stay here, because I am from Logroño, but not the specialty, since it was more clear to me what I did not like,” says this Logroño native. She considered different options and opted for Family and Community Medicine. “I saw that it was the specialty that was most focused on me and, to this day, I would not change it for another,” she admits.

Four years ago he began his residency at the Riojano Health Service (Seris), in which he had to learn to “manage” uncertainty and acquire a vision of “a more comprehensive medicine.” Hence, it is a “very complete” specialty, all because “you have to know everything, doubts arise every day and it forces you to be in continuous training,” he explains while pointing out that although “Family Medicine is the great unknown, but it helps you to obtain a more comprehensive vision, because you see different patients and families, you know their circumstances… It is a more comprehensive medicine”, he highlights.

The beginnings, however, were not easy. «At the beginning it is a bit complicated, because you go from being a student to acquiring a certain responsibility, having guards…, but as you progress in the residence you acquire more responsibilities and you are never alone, because you always have someone who supports you from the teaching unit. Since then, he has experienced “very variable” days. «The first three years, being a general specialty, you have to know a bit of everything, so we rotate through almost all the hospital services and we do the sessions of each service (ENT, Rheumatology, Cardiology…), in addition of the guards of our specialty».

Despite the fact that he packed his bags on occasion to make sure how other residents worked, he considers that “in La Rioja we are very lucky, because the residence is much more focused on Family Medicine and we do not lose contact with the centers of rural health”. In addition, “being a small community, we all know each other, so it is a very good place to do your residency; Everything is very well organized.”

“It is a specialty in which people open the door of their home for us, we are close and we attend to each one as the whole”

Tatia Santirso

Head of Studies in Family and Community Care

«It has been a very good experience, in which you train, meet new people, start your working day…»

Lucia Pena

Last year resident of Family and Community Medicine

He is unaware of the working conditions of other MIR residents, although he points out that “we cannot complain because, compared to the average salary of the population and of other professionals, we have a good salary to be in training.” Everything depends, however, “on the number of guards, if they are on weekends, if they are 24 or 17 hours … and the year of residence in which you are, but we charge more than 2,000 euros” , he estimates.

In his case, he has just over a week left to finish the specialty and, hence, his tidal wave of emotions. «I want to finish, because it means that you take on your responsibility, but training is also good. I think we are lucky, since we have our responsibility, but supported, and we charge for training ». In fact, his experience might not have been better. “I’m delighted. It has been a very good experience, in which you train, you meet new people who come to do the residency, you start your working day… It has passed very quickly », she assures.

“everyone falls in love”

The main problem facing this specialty is its “unknowing”. In fact, as Tatia Santirso, head of studies at the Family and Community Care Multiprofessional Teaching Unit, explains, “when you get to this specialty it is because you want to be a family doctor and you have a great vocation or because your note has not reached you for something else ».

A situation that, however, changes as soon as the MIRs begin their residency. «It is a specialty in which people open the door of their house for us. We are close and we attend to each one as the whole. As soon as they see that and the relationship we have with the patients, they all fall in love and want to be nothing more than a family doctor”, says Santirso. Hence the “pride” that La Rioja covered the 24 MIR positions offered in this specialty, especially because “we are a young teaching unit and there are others that have many free places.”

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