training

Year of family medicine established: Family medicine was established in 1987, though failed and was re-established in 2002 (Ventres, 2018)

Type of Training: There are 2 different training systems; firstly, residency programs that are based out of the ministry of health, accredited of the national university (Ventres, 2018). There is a graduate program with this form of training. Secondly, residency programs that are not university-based (Ventres, 2018) 

Length of Training: Training consists of 6 years of Medical School (Ventres, 2018), followed by 3 years of residency under the coordination of the University of El Salvador in two centers; firstly, National Hospital of Pulmonology and Family Medicine Dr. Jose Antonio Saldana (MINSAL: Ministry of Health), secondly, Zacamil Polyclinic (ISSS: Salvadoran Social Security Insititute) (Mejia, 2018)

Number of institutions that offer family medicine: 2 (Sonsonate and University of El Salvador) (Ventres, 2018 & Mejia, 2018)

Number of family medicine residents graduating each year: On average, 5 applicants are received annually for residency in Family Medicine, therefore in total it can range from 10 to 15 residents per institution (Mejia, 2018)

practice

Number of family doctors: As of 2015, there are 250 per 100,000 inhabitants (Mejia, 2018).

Physician to population ratio: There are 159.6 physicians per 100,000 patients, on average as of 2010 (Central America Doctors, n.d.).

DALY: 18,867 per 100,000 individuals (Due to all Causes).

Life Expectancy:

• Females 2017: 78.1 years

• Males 2017: 60.1 years

Mortality rate 2017:

• 2017 Males: 254 per 1,000 male adults.

• 2017 Females: 100 per 1,000 female adults.

Infant Immunization-HepB3: % of 1-year-old children received: 81%

College of Family Physicians (Y or N):

• NO

training

Family Medicine was established in 1987 but failed. It then re-established in 2002. There are two medical schools in this country. Medical schools is 6 years in length in which one year is dedicated for social service. Followed by this is two years of residency. There are a little bit less than 20 trainees graduating as family physicians each year between both medical schools. There are two different systems of re-imbursement in El Salvador. One is based in social security and one is in the ministry of health. Two family medicine programs exist and are credited. They are not university based programs but are accredited from the ministry of health.

practice

In addition to physicians, there are clinical prescribers and physician assistants There is a strong health community program that is a different part of primary care (Ventres, 2018). There are internists, obstetrics and gynecologists, as well as pediatricians (Mejia, 2018). Family physicians are called “medico de familia” or “Medico General”, where their main role is treating outpatients, though perform roles in the First Level of Attention (Primary Care) and in the Second Level of Attention (Basic Hospital) (Ventres, 2018 & Mejia, 2018). Physicians act as gatekeepers. In some second level hospitals they exercise the role of triage and emergency care, even serving as heads of the emergency units of some hospitals (Ventres, 2018 & Mejia, 2018). The model of primary care used is a didactic and theoretical-practical methodological approach in teaching Family Medicine (Mejia, 2018). In the public system, primary care is carried out through the Family Health Care model, the Community Health Care Teams and the Community Teams of Specialized Family Health Care. On the other hand, at the level of Social Security System, it is carried out through polyclinics. In terms of the ministry of health, physicians work in teams with nurses and social workers in primary care, where they provide direct services at the primary care level (Ventres, 2018).