Aims:

to ascertain the degree of implementation of Family and Community Medicine (MFyC) on the undergraduate medicine degree course of Spanish universities.

Methods:

cross-sectional descriptive study, January-March 2023. Ad-hoc questionnaire, completed by lecturers of 44 medical schools (academic year 2022-2023). The questionnaire included six MFyC topics; that is, supervised family practice internships, shifts, teaching and evaluation methodologies and lecturers in medical schools.

Results:

a total of 41 faculties (93.2%) took part; 83% public and 17% private. MFyC course was implemented in 34 faculties (82.9%). The course was mandatory in 32 faculties (94.1%), 78% of the total.

The course was named family and community medicine only in 14 medical schools (34%) with a major variability in ECTS credits (3 credits in 13 schools [36%] and 6 credits in 11 schools [30%]). It was taught in the 5th and 6th years in 21 (51%) and 13 (32%) faculties, respectively. There was supervised work experience in 28 faculties (68%), own credits in 19 (46%). Median duration was five weeks. There was a major variability in denomination. There was coordination by family practitioners in 14 faculties (50%).

There were health centre internships in 34 faculties (83%), mandatory in 29 (85%).

There are no family medicine departments and only university teaching units in four faculties. Currently, there are only three professors and 13 tenured lecturers.

Conclusions:

development of F&CM as a field was observed in terms of courses, content and teaching staff. However, this still falls well below international standards. Weaknesses are a major heterogeneity in denomination, content, methodologies, teaching load and structure and implementation of innovative teaching and evaluation methodologies was perceived as a strength.

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