Scandinavian journal of primary health care
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Apr 2024
ReviewThe transition of general practice into an academic discipline: tracing the origins through the first four professors in general practice/family medicine.
Being the 'mother' of most clinical specialties, general practice is as old as medicine itself. However, as a recognized academic discipline within medical schools, general practice has a relatively short life span. A decisive step forward was taken in 1956 when the University of Edinburgh established its Department of General Practice, and appointed the world's inaugural professor in the field in 1963. ⋯ In most western countries of today, general practice has become a recognized medical discipline and an important part of the medical education. But many places, this development is lagging behind. The global shaping of general practice into an academic discipline is therefore definitively not completed.