training

Type of Training: Residency in hospitals and family medicine clinics (Huhn, 2018)

Length of Training: Medical school (5 years), foundation training (2 years), residency (3 years) (Huhn, 2018)

Year family medicine established: 2007 (Government of Malta, n.d.)

Number of institutions that offer family medicine: There is 1 university, the University of Malta, that teaches family medicine (Brekke et al., 2013) Specialist residency training is not run by the university, but it is run by the state system (Huhn, 2018)

Number of family medicine residents graduating each year (2018): 20 family medicine residents (Huhn, 2018)

practice

Number of family doctors in country (2016): 360 family physicians (Eurostat, 2016)

Physician to population ratio: unknown.

DALY: 11,141 per 100,000 individuals (Due to all Causes).

Life Expectancy:

• Females 2017: 84.4 years

• Males 2017: 80.6 years

Mortality rate 2017:

• 2017 Males: 65 per 1,000 male adults.

• 2017 Females: 36 per 1,000 female adults.

Infant Immunization-HepB3: % of 1-year-old children received: 98%

College of Family Physicians (Y or N):

• No

training

Since family medicine was created in 2007 (Government of Malta, n.d.), Malta utilizes a residency program in hospitals and family medicine clinics (Huhn, 2018). The requirements for family physicians include 5 years in medical school, with family medicine taught in 4th and 5th year lectures, and approximately 12 hours taught in medical school. Following this there is 2 years of foundation training and then 3 years of residency training (Huhn, 2018). Currently only one university offers this program, the University of Malta, (Brekke et al., 2013) where 20 residents graduate in family medicine each year (Huhn, 2018). Specialist residency training is not run by the university, but it is run by the state system (Huhn, 2018).

practice

As of 2016, Malta has 360 family physicians (Eurostat, 2016) and uses the polyclinic model (Huhn, 2018). When family medicine first became a specialty, the general practitioners (with no specialty) automatically became specialists in family medicine since they did not have the opportunity for family medical training (Huhn, 2018).

Family doctors treat acute minor conditions, as well as some emergency like cardiac infarction. Family doctors work in a team with other doctors, and rotate roles. There are no appointments made, it is all walk in so care is not continuous. Family doctors do not always see the same patient (Huhn, 2018). They work with other specialists and healthcare professionals such as social workers and physiotherapists. They are also primary caregivers, and must give referrals for more specialized medicine in the gatekeeping method (Huhn, 2018).