Table 1 QUFMDP Main Program Objectives

1. Founding of 5 academic Departments of Family Medicine (DFM) within Faculties of Medicine as central points for all teaching and research initiatives and to legitimize the new specialty.

2. Reform of curriculum for medical students to strengthen the teaching of primary care knowledge and clinical skills. Standardized curriculum implemented in both entities with consistent teaching methods and content meeting European standards.

3. Early recognition of education needs of primary care nurses leading to a parallel project funded by Canadian government and implemented in cooperation with George Brown College School of Nursing for training Family Medicine nurses.

4. In cooperation with the World Bank, design and implementation of a nationally standardized one-year Program of Additional Training (PAT) for teams of practicing primary care doctors and nurses, using a model of team-teaching and to accelerate the numbers of trained Family Medicine professionals across all regions of the country.

5. Development of a new specialization in Family Medicine that met European standards and embodying the principles of Family Medicine enunciated by the World Organization of National Colleges and Academies of Family Medicine (WONCA). This replaced the old specialization of General Practice taught exclusively by specialists in hospital settings. The specialization in FM was a major focus for the Queen’s program with specialization centers affiliated with each DFM, plus 2 satellite centers to accommodate demand.

6. Support for the necessary credentialing of academic members of DFMs through completion of MSc and PhD degrees and for research and publication for academic promotion to leadership positions.

7. Involvement as technical advisors for strategic planning, development of Ministerial and University policies and regulations, as well as Health System and Health Insurance Laws relevant to Primary Care/ Family Medicine.

8. Because of long-term presence in country, acted as informal technical advisors/ facilitators/coordinators for many other NGOs, embassies, individual initiatives to leverage investment in health sector.