A SPANISH medic has been named the World's Best GP in the prestigious WONCA Global Family Doctor awards.
Dr Verónica Casado is based at the Parquesol health centre in Valladolid, Castilla y León, just to the north of Madrid and was chosen by unanimous vote at the WONCA Five-Stars European Conference in Prague.
The World Organisation of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners and Family Physicians, otherwise known as the World Organisation of Family Doctors, has never previously granted its top award to a Spanish medic – and this time, the winner represents two continents, not just one.
Dr Casado has been picked as top GP for Europe and Latin America combined, earning unanimous votes at the WONCA-CIMF Five-Stars conference in Cali, Colombia.
Previous female winners have included Dr Atai Omoruto, from Uganda; Dr Lucy Candib, from the USA, and jointly in 2010, Dr Sonia Roache from Trinidad & Tobago and Professor Ruth Wilson from Canada.
Dr Casado has been in practice for over 30 years and has extensive experience in medical teaching, contributing to and editing specialist textbooks, international cooperation, medical director, practice manager, and sub-director for healthcare planning for the national ministry of health.
She holds a PhD in medicine and surgery, completed in 1987 – two years after she started work at the Parquesol clinic, where she has been ever since.
In a post-award interview, Dr Casado admitted that life as a GP in Spain was made 'very difficult' during the financial crisis, and is still 'not easy'.
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