after decades of being neglected and on the verge of slipping irrevocably into total oblivion , in india , this speciality has recently been generating curiosity , interest , and discussion .
specialised generalists  into the undermanned primary - care network across the nation and 2 . due to private players realising the immense , untapped commercial potential for primary care services , especially in relatively affluent areas in large cities .
consequently , a remarkable spurt has occurred in corporate set - ups offering family physician - based services .
historically , the primary healthcare scenario in india has been heavily fragmented , with the organized work mostly coming from state - sponsored primary health centres .
most individual practitioners are mbbs doctors with added certifications or affiliations with family physicians ( fps ) associations
only one - third of them hold mbbs degrees ; one - third are ayurvedic or homeopathic doctors , and the rest are unqualified or quacks .
it is noteworthy at this point , that among the practitioners of modern medicine , only a few have received any training in family medicine that is recognized by the medical council of india ( mci ) . among the ones with postgraduate qualifications in family medicine ,
 chains  of clinics promising family medicine - based services are up and running in a few cities , especially in the metros .
there is also an uncanny resemblance among most of the corporate start - up family medicine - based chains : they seem to have similar business models , claims , ambitions , offerings , and promises .
for example , almost all of them offer to  bring back the family doctor , 
 provide all basic medical services under one roof ,   electronic medical records ,  and so on .
most of them have started off with a few centers in a particular city and are in the process of establishing more centers in other major cities .
they find it difficult to get adequate number of doctors with formal fm training on board .
a few corporate tertiary level hospitals too have been recently warming up to the trend .
hospitals seem to put the versatility of fm specialists to good use across various departments .
they now offer home - based care ; family physician - led evidence - based health checks , and so on .
some also have satellite clinics offering continuity and consistency of care . in some tertiary centers , even intensive care units ( icus )
the following sections broadly outline the advantages and disadvantages of being a family medicine specialist in a corporate set - up .
most of these observations are from articles in the media , personal experiences as well as interactions with employers and colleagues . 

no initial corpus required for fresh general practitioners ( gps)/fps to start . generally adequately laid - out set-ups.fixed salaries ( sometimes offer 15 - 20% higher than industry standards or more than conventional specialists ;
for example , a fm qualified doctor was offered 90 k / month in mumbai in 2011 .
the industry standards for a fresh specialist at the time were between 50 and 70 k).generally fixed work timings .
there is a pool of gps on rotation basis.corporate perks.steady career growth opportunity.pressures of managing a solo practice are avoided : staffing , financial transactions , general management , and so on.family medicine is advertised in various media : online , social networking groups , print , conducting screening camps , and so on.consistent patient pool.business models are such that patients are likely to stay with you ( e.g. long - term membership schemes ) . 
  no initial corpus required for fresh general practitioners ( gps)/fps to start .
generally adequately laid - out set - ups . fixed salaries ( sometimes offer 15 - 20% higher than industry standards or more than conventional specialists ;
for example , a fm qualified doctor was offered 90 k / month in mumbai in 2011 .
the industry standards for a fresh specialist at the time were between 50 and 70 k ) .
pressures of managing a solo practice are avoided : staffing , financial transactions , general management , and so on .
family medicine is advertised in various media : online , social networking groups , print , conducting screening camps , and so on . consistent patient pool .
business models are such that patients are likely to stay with you ( e.g. long - term membership schemes ) . 

not all colleagues / managers may have a reasonable idea about family medicine.professional freedom may be limited : ideas unwelcome unless it involves significant or immediate profit.continuing medical education ( cme)/training opportunities vary . not all are supportive beyond corporate needs.corporate work cultures , ethics vary.no formal academic positions in private chains.even in the numerous private hospitals offering training for the diplomate of national board ( dnb ) in family medicine , very few have any faculty qualified in family medicine at present.little opportunity to run independent practice.inconsistent interpersonal relations / personal ego clashes / workplace politics.commercial pressures/targets  may need to be met.a major target customer group for corporate chains appears to be affluent corporate employees .
it may not be a true reflection of family or community - based practice.family medicine concept  may be compromised especially in tertiary level centers ( work exclusively in icus , specialized settings ) .
purpose of fm may be partly defeated.other specialists ( untrained in fm)/people with nonclinical specializations ( pathologists / mba / mha , etc.)/people with dubious 
publics trust in fm may be eroded in the long run due to misleading approach by non - fm - trained doctors . 
 
professional freedom may be limited : ideas unwelcome unless it involves significant or immediate profit . continuing medical education ( cme)/training opportunities vary .
corporate work cultures , ethics vary . no formal academic positions in private chains . even in the numerous private hospitals offering training for the diplomate of national board ( dnb ) in family medicine ,
very few have any faculty qualified in family medicine at present . little opportunity to run independent practice .
 family medicine concept  may be compromised especially in tertiary level centers ( work exclusively in icus , specialized settings ) .
other specialists ( untrained in fm)/people with nonclinical specializations ( pathologists / mba / mha , etc.)/people with dubious 
publics trust in fm may be eroded in the long run due to misleading approach by non - fm - trained doctors . 

ensuring consistency in services.accessibility : perceived as targeting the higher middle or high elite class . easily made out from the locations of clinics.public
perception that family medicine is new and only accessible through private providers , and mainly commercialized.wary of being seen as  glorified referral / feeder centers  to higher centers.integration with existing government services.work force acquisition : competing with government schemes for placement.important business aspects are closely guarded ( corporate secrets ) . 
 
accessibility : perceived as targeting the higher middle or high elite class . easily made out from the locations of clinics .
public perception that family medicine is new and only accessible through private providers , and mainly commercialized .
wary of being seen as  glorified referral / feeder centers  to higher centers .

 no initial corpus required for fresh general practitioners ( gps)/fps to start . generally adequately laid - out set-ups.fixed salaries ( sometimes offer 15 - 20% higher than industry standards or more than conventional specialists ;
for example , a fm qualified doctor was offered 90 k / month in mumbai in 2011 .
the industry standards for a fresh specialist at the time were between 50 and 70 k).generally fixed work timings .
there is a pool of gps on rotation basis.corporate perks.steady career growth opportunity.pressures of managing a solo practice are avoided : staffing , financial transactions , general management , and so on.family medicine is advertised in various media : online , social networking groups , print , conducting screening camps , and so on.consistent patient pool.business models are such that patients are likely to stay with you ( e.g. long - term membership schemes ) . 
 
no initial corpus required for fresh general practitioners ( gps)/fps to start . generally adequately laid - out set - ups . fixed salaries ( sometimes offer 15 - 20% higher than industry standards or more than conventional specialists ;
for example , a fm qualified doctor was offered 90 k / month in mumbai in 2011 .
the industry standards for a fresh specialist at the time were between 50 and 70 k ) .
pressures of managing a solo practice are avoided : staffing , financial transactions , general management , and so on .
family medicine is advertised in various media : online , social networking groups , print , conducting screening camps , and so on . consistent patient pool . business models are such that patients are likely to stay with you ( e.g. long - term membership schemes ) .

 not all colleagues / managers may have a reasonable idea about family medicine.professional freedom may be limited : ideas unwelcome unless it involves significant or immediate profit.continuing medical education ( cme)/training opportunities vary . not all are supportive beyond corporate needs.corporate work cultures , ethics vary.no formal academic positions in private chains.even in the numerous private hospitals offering training for the diplomate of national board ( dnb ) in family medicine , very few have any faculty qualified in family medicine at present.little opportunity to run independent practice.inconsistent interpersonal relations / personal ego clashes / workplace politics.commercial pressures/targets  may need to be met.a major target customer group for corporate chains appears to be affluent corporate employees .
it may not be a true reflection of family or community - based practice.family medicine concept  may be compromised especially in tertiary level centers ( work exclusively in icus , specialized settings ) .
purpose of fm may be partly defeated.other specialists ( untrained in fm)/people with nonclinical specializations ( pathologists / mba / mha , etc.)/people with dubious  specializations  may be practicing as fps .
publics trust in fm may be eroded in the long run due to misleading approach by non - fm - trained doctors . 
 
professional freedom may be limited : ideas unwelcome unless it involves significant or immediate profit . continuing medical education ( cme)/training opportunities vary .
corporate work cultures , ethics vary . no formal academic positions in private chains . even in the numerous private hospitals offering training for the diplomate of national board ( dnb ) in family medicine ,
very few have any faculty qualified in family medicine at present . little opportunity to run independent practice .
 family medicine concept  may be compromised especially in tertiary level centers ( work exclusively in icus , specialized settings ) .
other specialists ( untrained in fm)/people with nonclinical specializations ( pathologists / mba / mha , etc.)/people with dubious  specializations
publics trust in fm may be eroded in the long run due to misleading approach by non - fm - trained doctors .

 ensuring consistency in services.accessibility : perceived as targeting the higher middle or high elite class . easily made out from the locations of clinics.public
perception that family medicine is new and only accessible through private providers , and mainly commercialized.wary of being seen as  glorified referral / feeder centers  to higher centers.integration with existing government services.work force acquisition : competing with government schemes for placement.important business aspects are closely guarded ( corporate secrets ) . 
 
ensuring consistency in services . accessibility : perceived as targeting the higher middle or high elite class . easily made out from the locations of clinics .
public perception that family medicine is new and only accessible through private providers , and mainly commercialized .
wary of being seen as  glorified referral / feeder centers  to higher centers .
the overall impact of family medicine - based clinics on improvement in quality healthcare and disease outcomes , in the long term in india , needs to be seen .
however , it holds much promise , since high - quality primary care is the backbone of any low - cost , effective healthcare delivery system in all developed countries . some of these chains strive to achieve high - quality standards and
a distinct role seems to be evolving for fm specialists in tertiary corporate medical institutions too . whether private players will work hand in hand with state - run machinery , whether they can play an influential role in improving an average indian 's life
the qualified , but scarce family physician is of vital importance in this situation . as far as success is concerned , it seems that corporate chains offering fm are here to stay and grow exponentially , especially targeting the upper and higher middle class in cities . coupled with tie - ups with insurance providers
 family medicine is undergoing a sudden revival in india . 
 there is significant lack of clarity regarding the opportunities , advantages , and challenges available in family medicine , especially in the private sector . 
 this article is addressed to young doctors aspiring to specialize in family medicine . 
 it is an attempt to shed light on the present scenario of family medicine in the corporate sector in india and make young doctors aware of the prospects in this area . 
Introduction
Advantages of being a family physician in a corporate
Disadvantages
Challenges
Future