Rural Family Medicine Retraining Program (RFMR)
In collaboration with the Health for Armenia Foundation (HFA), HENAR implements the Medical Knowledge and Skills pillar of HFA’s Healthcare Leadership Program. This pillar strengthens the clinical competencies of healthcare professionals through structured training that combines theory with practical skill development.The RFMR program, developed in partnership with the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (BUCASM), emphasizes evidence-based medicine and hands-on training to ensure participants can apply up-to-date clinical knowledge in real-world settings.
Medical Knowledge and Skills Pillar Components
Preceptorship Sessions
Guided, interactive learning sessions, where a faculty member acts as a preceptor to support the program's doctor leaders in applying knowledge to clinical practice through discussion and feedback
Online Sessions
- Case Discussion Sessions: Interactive review of real clinical cases led by doctor-leaders to improve decision-making, problem-solving, and applying theory to practice.
- Online Lecture: Short videos on family medicine topics followed by case-based discussions
Journal Clubs
Bi-weekly doctor-leaders receive articles, where they need to go over the content independently and analyze the article through answering a series of questions, helping them find answers independently and improving their self-learning skills
Who are our faculty members?
Before the launch of the program, a Training of Trainers (ToT) initiative was implemented in collaboration with Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Seven family medicine physicians from Yerevan and various marzes were trained in advanced family medicine competencies and medical education methodologies to become faculty members. These instructors now play a key role in delivering the program and are responsible for training and mentoring the next generation of family doctors.
Before the launch of the program, a Training of Trainers (ToT) initiative was implemented in collaboration with Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Seven family medicine physicians from Yerevan and various marzes were trained in advanced family medicine competencies and medical education methodologies to become faculty members. These instructors now play a key role in delivering the program and are responsible for training and mentoring the next generation of family doctors.
The program aims to strengthen the capacity of family physicians by enhancing their clinical knowledge, practical skills, and professional identity. In the short term, participants acquire updated, evidence-based competencies and demonstrate improvements in day-to-day clinical practice. These gains contribute to mid-term outcomes, including more competent family medicine doctors and improved patient outcomes in primary care settings. Over the long term, the program supports the development of a stronger, more resilient family medicine workforce capable of delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.
IMPACT of the program
