Doody's Review Service

Reviewer:	Tessa Rohrberg, MD (University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita)

Description
This book, authored by international educators who are members of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), provides a guide to incorporating the specialty of family medicine into medical school curricula. The book begins with vital background information and advances through the stages of curriculum design, approaches to teaching curriculum, assessment of learners, and evaluation of the curriculum. One unique feature is the inclusion of key summary points at the beginning of every chapter. Not only does this introduce the chapter, but it also provides a quick and helpful review. Figures and tables are appropriately placed for emphasis without being excessive. Many chapters also provide additional resources to easily access such as links to teaching clinical skills and practical tips that educators can put into practice right away.

Purpose
The purpose of this book is to provide a fundamental framework to implement the principles of family medicine into medical school curricula to achieve the goal of "effective primary care that is integrated, accessible, and affordable for everyone." Based on the current state of healthcare, the objectives are worthy and timely. The book meets its objectives by providing the steps necessary for medical educators to develop curriculum that includes the principles of family medicine by providing evidence for inclusion in medical education, processes for implementation, and strategies for overcoming barriers to implementation.

Audience
The book meets the needs of its audience of family medicine educators in academia and practicing clinicians. While the book will be most valuable for those new to medical education, veteran medical educators are also likely to glean importance from this book. The authors and editors are members of WONCA and are experts in the book's subject matter.

Features
The book is divided into six sections. The table of contents provides a user-friendly and detailed outline of the book. The first section sets the stage for the topic by providing the reasons for including family medicine in medical education. Important topics such as the principles of family medicine, social accountability, and developing a future workforce are thoroughly appraised. The second section is most applicable for those new to medical education. It discusses integrated competency-based curriculum focusing on community and population health. Section three provides support for early exposure to family medicine and offers ideas on how and where to include family medicine in the medical school curriculum. The next section is another valuable section for novel educators. It reviews learning theories; how to teach clinical, communication and procedural skills; and the roles of supervisor, mentor, and coach in detail. Section five covers a complex part of medical education: assessment. It includes feedback, clinical competency, assessment tools and how to approach a struggling learner. This section provides case examples and practical tips. The final section suitably concludes the book with a discussion on evidence-based practice and performing continuous quality improvement. The book is well-written and easy to read. Chapters are the appropriate length. The book is organized strategically so readers can progressively gain an understanding of curriculum development. However, each section and chapter can be read independently. Topics are highly significant to medical education and the future of healthcare across the world today. Each chapter includes up-to-date relevant references. Perhaps the only shortcoming is that the book does not offer distinct guidance for different accreditation requirements.

Assessment
This well-written book provides great value to medical education today. This book is distinct in that it is the first of its kind. It is written by WONCA members, and the principles are applicable to medical educators in any country. As an early career family medicine educator and clerkship director, I found the book captivating and difficult to put down. I found myself brainstorming about the future of family medicine education at my institution and how I could immediately put concepts into practice.