The department of family medicine was organized in February, 1996 on the basis of the first chair of therapy of Almaty State Institute of improvement of doctors .
The head of family medicine faculty Nugmanova D. S. is the member of the World Council of Wonca, in August, 2005 for the first time in CIS countries and Europe is nominated by the Family Doctor of the World, and since 2010 is chosen as the representative of Wonca World in the Global Initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease (GOLD).
As an international expert on primary healthcare, improvement of quality of medical care and Evidence-based medicine D.S. Nugmanova is regularly involved by WHO, the World Bank, USAID projects, Wonca and other international organizations for advisory work in Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Mongolia and Azerbaijan, and also to participation in the international forums with reports (the USA, Bulgaria, Kenya, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, etc.).
Staff of chair was trained in the advanced western countries (the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Austria), Russia, other CIS countries. In 1996-1998 the faculty of primary healthcare of Bristol University of Great Britain was the partner of chair. In 2000-2003 the most part of teachers was trained in family medicine and new technologies of training in the Project of the World bank and DFID. Since 1999 to the present the adviser of chair is the family doctor from the USA David Kyuter who gives classes with employees, gives lectures for listeners and clinical interns, advises together with them and doctors patients of policlinic where faculty is located.
During 2003-2005 teachers of chair trained in Evidence-based medicine more than 200 employees of scientific research institutes, medical schools, Ministries of Health, FOMS of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. On the basis of a course EBM of Imperial college and the course EBM which is carried out by the EBM Moscow Center, the chair developed and approved as a standard 2-week course «Evidence-based medicine in clinical practice». On the basis of a course on rational pharmacotherapy of Greningen University of the Netherlands and WHO the chair developed and introduced 3–week course « Evidence-based medicine. Rational medical therapy».
Staff of chair in 1998 organized the Association of family doctors of Kazakhstan which became the stout member of the World Organization of family doctors of Wonca World in 2003. In May 2006 two employees of chair at the expense of Association of family doctors of Kazakhstan (ASVK) were trained in the Program of the European Union Leonardo da Vinci for teachers of family medicine. In April 2008 by request of MH RK the chair followed a 4-week course for 30 teachers of chairs of family medicine of all medical schools of RK.
Staff of chair knows English. It allows chair to keep up to date, provide listeners with the most reliable information and continuously update the content of lectures and practical training.
In June, 2009 the staff of chair together with Association of family doctors of Kazakhstan organized and carried out the First congress of family doctors of Kazakhstan at high level. Representatives of the European office of WHO, USAID, Ministry of Health, the American Academy of family doctors (AAFP), the Finnish society of pulmonary health (FILHA), USAID Project Zdravplus, Capacity, non-governmental organizations of Kazakhstan participated in congress. The chair introduced in educational process such modern training technologies, as the objective structured clinical examination (OSKE), educational stations for development by practical skills, techniques of the standardized patient, role-playing games, interactive lecturing with use of a multimedia projector, video films, CD ROM.
Staff of chair is members various republican (ASVK, APSV, EARO) and the international organizations (Wonca, AAFP, ERS, EAACI, IPCRG), participate and make reports on World, European AND CIS countries conferences and the congresses (Wonca World, Wonca Europe, ERS, ESC, AAFP, EARO, «The person and medicine», etc.). Teachers of chair together with members of ASVK acted as initiators of carrying out World Asthma of Day and the World Day of HOBL in Kazakhstan.
Together with the international organizations and ASVK the staff of chair participates in projects of continuous improvement of quality and scientific researches in the Karaganda area, Astana and Atyrausky area and carries out preparation of remote courses of doctors of PMSP.