Russian family physicians try to develop an identity in specialist-oriented country

Russia is in the process of reforming its medical system to place more emphasis on family medicine. Currently, most of the emphasis is on specialization and family doctors are considered little more than referral agents to specialists. Last fall, three Russian doctors with an interest in family medicine attended a conference in Winnipeg. Although they hope to learn from Canadian colleagues, they also think that Canada might be able to learn from Russian experience in the health-promotion field.