Research & PhDs in FM in LMIC’s

Why this page on PhDs.
Research and PhDs are essential to fortify the fundament of FM and to help in the academic profiling of FM-departments.
A PhD is a step towards understanding research or becoming a researcher.
In many departments of FM they prefer a HoD with a PhD.

How to proceed to the start of a PhD
In North South collaboration  research and PhDs are a essential vehicle.
WONCA is supporting that: Consult their offer.
When you intend to start a PhD-study your FM-department may want to build a cooperation with the host institute. Together the institutes can apply for funding of NUFFIC in The Netherlands.
SHE in Maastricht provides such PhD-programmes.
Contact Mark Spigt

WONCA  & ARC help to promote research in FM by capacity building
AfriWon RENAISSANCE is the African organisation for young and future FPs in the WONCA Africa region. 
The ARC (African Research Collaborative) is part of Afriwon fostering global primary care research. Read BMJ global health paper for how to catch up. 

Primary Care Research Methods

Bob Mash et al. offer the whole series of 11 articles aimed at doctoral level researchers and their supervisors. We have also just published an editorial to position and introduce the series. 
Please make use of this series with your Masters and Doctoral students and in your teaching on research.
Bob Mash. https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/browseSearch/sections/view?sectionId=15

1. Writing for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): A guide to developing a strong and coherent thesis.
2. From dreamers to doers: Navigating the doctoral journey in family medicine and primary care.
3. Phenomenology for primary care researchers.
4. Understanding implementation research.
5. Clinical trial methods for family medicine and primary care.
6. Cost-effectiveness analysis in primary care research: A practical guide for early-career researchers.
7. Integrating evidence synthesis into doctoral research: A guide for family medicine and primary care.
8. From separate streams to confluence: A framework for meaningful mixed methods integration in African primary care research.
9. Design science research in quality improvement: Embedding rigour in digital health innovation.
10. Real-world evidence for primary care: A primer on observational research.
11. Integrated knowledge translation: A guide for primary care researchers.

Examples of successful theses
– Diagnostic evaluation of smear negative TB in a resource poor setting. Mala George Otieno.

– Intestinal Parasitosis and Under‐nutrition in Ethiopia: Prevalence, Risk factors and Prevention. Mahmud Abdulkader Mahmud

– Care for chronic diseases in LICs. The health system perspective and self-management of diabetes. Josefien van Olmen- Access to Care For children under‐five across high pneumonia mortality countries in sub‐Saharan Africa. Camielle Noordam

– Where altitude and sex meet: Sexual risk behaviour and altitude illness in travel clinic visitors M.Croughs. +32475394800, mieke.croughs@telenet.be 

– Cardiovascular disease prevention in the slums of Kenya. Steven van de Vijver. proefschrift & publication in the Lancet.

– K. von Pressentin, a South African FP wrote an excellent thesis on the contribution of Family Physicians to the SA health care system.