The Ramathibodi community health program

Exporting Professionalism: A Case Study of Medical Education

“…This is not surprising. What is somewhat unexpected is the way in which elements of the "'clinical mentality" have injected themselves into the single aspect of medical training that purports to be stressing a nonclinical perspective on Thai health problems: the new community health program at Ramathibodi (Buri et al, 1974). As noted previously, the program strongly emphasizes the responsibility of physicians for making decisions and exercising control at all levels.…”

“…It is difficult to think of an expenditure further removed from the "quantitative demands" for health care, especially in rural areas. The major attempt to respond to these needs has been the establishment of a community health program in the medical school at Ramathibodi (Buri et al, 1974). However, the program assumes, both explicitly and implicitly, that rural health services can be delivered only through a system based on, and con- Siam and to guide the developments in public health and general medical service" (Pearce, 1922 (Ellis, 1931).…”

“…More surprising is the new community health program (Buri et al, 1974), which, rather than stressing the responsiveness of physicians to the self-expressed health needs of the community and the importance of other health personnel in decision-making, emphasizes the dominance of physicians over the health team and community in formulating problems, defining objectives, and setting priorities for care, especially in rural areas.…”

“…Even in these areas, the appeal of modern medicine competes with traditional healing (Bryant, 1970;Buri et al, 1974;Dinning, 1974;Manasvi et al, 1972;National Economic Development Board, 1970;Riley and Sermsri, 1974;World Bank, 1975).…”

Medical education in Thailand: an alternate perspective

“…Recently two reports about medical education in Thailand have appeared in the literature (Buri et al , 1974; Dinning, 1974). Although the two articles are about widely different aspects of medical education they have a number of important themes and implications in common.…”