Family doctors focus not only on treating disease but on understanding the person and their story. Additionally, family medicine involves a psychosocial perspective, considering the dynamics of family relationships and their impact on health. According to IMSS, family medicine addresses up to 90% of the conditions of approximately 60% of Mexico’s social security beneficiaries.
Through family medicine professionals, the Mexican government reports that one in three citizens is affected by either diabetes or hypertension. As the first level of care, Mexico is committed to educating more professionals with a preventative approach. Between 2018 and 2024, there was a 50% increase in family doctors in training (Government of Mexico, 2024). This trend is mirrored across Latin America, with similar efforts in Brazil, Cuba, and El Salvador, where expanding healthcare access is a priority.
Beyond increasing the number of professionals, providing high-quality care is essential, and this is where the Open Medical Institute (OMI) directs its efforts through its OMI MEX program. From October 14-16, 2024, OMI hosted a family medicine course focused on adult medicine, in partnership with Duke University, for 46 fellows from Mexico and Brazil. Duke is widely recognized as a leading institution in healthcare, and connecting its exceptional faculty with Latin American doctors is an important step forward in improving patient care across the region.
As course director for the second time this year at an OMI seminar, following the first in Salzburg this April, we were excited to welcome Dr. John W. Ragsdale III to Mexico City. Dr. Ragsdale is Chief of the Division of Family Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Duke University.
Joining Dr. Ragsdale were other distinguished faculty from Duke University: Dr. Kenneth Herring, Associate Program Director of the Duke Family Medicine Residency; Dr. Raman Nohria, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health; and Dr. Anthony J. Viera, Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Duke’s School of Medicine.
Given the critical role of family medicine as the first level of care and the growing expansion of the field across Latin America, we believe that focusing efforts on delivering high-quality, state-of-the-art care is of utmost importance. As an interdisciplinary field, delivering top-tier family medicine education requires addressing more than just diseases. Reflecting on the seminar, Dr. Herring shared insights about the program:
“Over the course of three days, our faculty team covered the latest evidence-based approaches to managing core fundamentals of primary care, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and headaches. Just as relevant in the field, participants engaged with principles of time management and discussed the evolving role of artificial intelligence in family medicine.”
After each seminar, we are reminded of the significance of collaboration and knowledge exchange in the medical field. Reflecting on his experience with OMI, Dr. Herring added:
“Having previously facilitated a family medicine seminar in Salzburg with the Open Medical Institute, I was thrilled to participate in a similar experience in Mexico City, with nearly 50 participants from across Mexico and Brazil. OMI MEX proved to be an incredible three days of education and dialogue with both practicing family physicians and residents in training. From engaging lectures to sharing meals together, I am excited for this year’s group of participants to return to their home sites with evidence-based strategies to improve the health of their communities. I look forward to continuing my collaboration with OMI MEX in the future as they foster the development of future leaders in family medicine in Mexico and Latin America.”
