Teaching group in general practice
General practice is the study of managing diseases and ailments as they manifest in primary healthcare. The discipline encompasses clinical diagnostics, treatment, follow-up, and disease prevention. Group Leader: Thomas Mildestvedt.
Main content
The teaching group belongs to the section of General Practice (FAM).
A general practitioner works with both diseases and health issues managed in general practice, as well as conditions that require collaboration across various parts of the healthcare system.
About the section: The Department of General Practice was established in 1972 and has since become part of the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care (IGS). Since 2018, we have been organized as the Section of General Practice (FAM). The group engages in teaching and research related to general practice topics, as well as professional challenges and tasks related to general practice at the local, national, and international levels. The teaching leader is professor Thomas Mildestvedt.
FAM is a large and diverse group, with some members combining academic positions with general practice.
Work Areas of the section: FAM's main societal tasks are:
- To educate patient-centered doctors who have strong foundational medical knowledge, insight into the unique features of general practice, and can practice their profession with integrity, empathy, social responsibility, and relational and cultural competence.
- To conduct research on general practice issues, both clinical, organizational, and theoretical. The discipline has four research groups: Research Group for Health Promotion and Migration Health (HEMIX), Research Group for Sleep, Musculoskeletal, Infections, and Laboratory (SMIL), Research Group for Medical Education Research (MedUt), and Health Services Research Group (HELFORSK). At our department, medical students learn clinical disease management, clinical communication, how to use the consultation and doctor-patient relationship as tools, and how to provide equitable health services. A significant portion of our teaching takes place in general practices in the Vestland region, where students are trained in independent clinical work under supervision.
FAM closely collaborates with the Department of General Practice Research Unit (AFE) in Bergen, the National Center for Emergency Primary Health Care (Nklm), and the Norwegian Quality Improvement of Laboratory Services Outside Hospitals (NOKLUS).
