FCM 1 - Foundations of Clinical Medicine: The Practice of Medicine and the Health Care Ecosystem

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering medical roles, healthcare systems, hospital levels, specialist classifications, and the patient journey based on Foundations of Clinical Medicine Module No. 1.

The 3 Ps (Physician Roles)

The three primary functional domains of a medical doctor: Patient care (clinician), Policy and population-based health, and Pedagogy (teaching).

The Big 4 Specialties

The major clinical specialties consisting of Internist (Adult care), Pediatrician (Child care), OB-Gyne (Care of pregnant women), and Surgeon (Trauma care).

Primary Care Physician

A generalist doctor who serves as the first-contact physician for undiagnosed patients, providing comprehensive, continuing, and coordinating care, and referring patients to specialists when necessary.

Post-Graduate Intern

A medical trainee in the final year of medical school.

Resident

A physician undergoing medical training in one of "The Big 4" specialties (Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Surgery, or OB-GYN).

Fellow

A physician undergoing subspecialty training after completing residency.

Consultant

A practicing specialist or subspecialist who has completed advanced training and may also assume administrative roles.

Otorhinolaryngologist

A medical specialist focused on conditions of the ear, nose, and throat (ENT).

Physiatrist

A Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Specialist who focuses on treating pain, disability, and functional restoration.

Theranostic Specialists

A category of medical specialists that includes Radiologists, Nuclear Medicine Physicians, and Pathologists.

Level 1 Hospital

A hospital providing basic services including an ER, OPD, OR, Laboratory, Imaging, and Pharmacy, managed by "The Big 4" specialists.

Level 2 Hospital

A hospital facility providing all Level 1 services plus subspecialist care, dialysis, and an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Level 3 Hospital

A training hospital equipped with higher specialization, super-specialists, subspecialty training programs, and advanced facilities.

Apex Hospital

A highly specialized medical center positioned above Level 3 hospitals designed to handle the most complex, rare, or specialized cases (e.g., Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, NKTI).

Healthcare Pyramid

A model representing the healthcare system where primary care clinics form the broad base for most patients, and tertiary hospitals sit at the apex handling high-complexity cases.

Public Health Doctor

A physician focused on community health, mass interventions, disease surveillance, health promotion, and healthcare policy.

Clinician

A registered healthcare professional responsible for providing direct patient care.

Primary Health Care

A comprehensive healthcare framework integrating population-based public health interventions with individual-based personal care.

Healthy Stage (Patient Journey)

The initial stage of the patient journey focused on health promotion and disease prevention through services like vaccinations and health screenings in primary clinics or RHUs.

Acute Care Stage (Patient Journey)

The stage of the patient journey involving inpatient hospital admission and curative treatment for acute illnesses or emergency conditions.

Chronic Care Stage (Patient Journey)

The stage of the patient journey focused on long-term outpatient management of ongoing conditions to prevent complications and re-hospitalization.

Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Identified as the most complicated form of cardiac surgery.

Dr. Devi Shetty

A cardiac surgeon featured in The Surgeon's Cut who trained in heart surgery and works in an advanced hospital in Bangalore with a multidisciplinary team.

Hospital Layout (Basic Level 1 Structure)

A architectural division of essential hospital units including OR, DR, ER, Ward, Imaging, Laboratory, Pharmacy, OPD Clinics, and Dental clinic.

Rural Health Unit (RHU) Layout

A community health facility layout featuring a Triage area, Waiting area with vital signs/height & weight checks, Laboratory, and Clinics for Primary Care Physicians, Nurses, Midwives, and Barangay Health Workers.

Patient Journey Timeline

A diagram mapping a patient's progression across clinical stages: Screen/Vaccine (Clinic/RHU) to Admission (In-patient Acute Care in Hospital) to Discharge (Out-patient Chronic Care in Clinic).

Open-Heart Surgery Hypothermia

An advanced surgical technique where a patient's body temperature is lowered to $17^\circ\text{C}$ during open-heart surgery to expand what doctors can do during complex operations.