Specialist training of Slovene family physicians

Family medicine in Europe started to develop in the 1960s with the introduction of obligatory specialist training. Slovenia is a country with a long tradition of family medicine specialist training, but up until 2002 this was neither elaborated on nor conducted by peers in general practice/family medicine. When the country's socialist system started to transform due to political reforms, Slovenia began to modify its system in order to meet the criteria of the European Union. One of the changes was the introduction of a new healthcare system with an influential Medical Chamber responsible for postgraduate training in all specialities. A new model for vocational training in family medicine was established in 2002, following the recommendations of the European Union of General Practitioners (UEMO). According to the new programme, which lasts 4 years, trainees spend half of their training in a hospital setting and half in general practice, where they are supervised by a trainer in practice. This article describes the legal process of introducing new forms of specialist training in Slovenia, and its content.

A comparison with UEMO countries shows that the new model is comparable to other countries.