He is In a position to spot abnormalities which might lead to early diagnosis of more critical illnesses. Perhaps most important. he is in the best position to emphasize preventive health. Moreover. we must remember that it is the rural poor. the ghetto dweller. the elderly. the migrant. who are the people who have suffered most by the decline of the family doctor for they lack the means and the family tradition of looking for the kind of medical care they need. In many cases. the emergency rooms of our hospitals have been forced to play the role of general practitionerbut by the time a poor family arrives on the steps of a hospital. corrective measures are almost bound to cost a lot more than if a family doctor had been able to get treatment to them earlier. Due to the mushrooming of medical knowledge and technology. the trend in our medical schools is to move into specialized fields.