Open AccessThe Family and Community Medicine Residency Program of the Medical Course of the Rio de Janeiro State University is a forerunner of this specialty in Brazil. The program was established in 1976, together with two other programs. This article portrays the political scenario of that time describing the struggles to start a program focused on an innovative perspective. It provides an idea of the theoretical and conceptual framework and of the structure of the Family and Community Medicine Residency Program of the State University of Rio de Janeiro, in contraposition to a simplistic concept of Primary Care and the qualification of professionals in this area. Such simplistic conceptions however, though still prevailing in some circles, are unfit for facing the complexity of the health issues at this care level. It is stressed that for promoting health it is necessary to develop specific competences, prevent diseases and avoid precocious effects of existing diseases capable of compromising the individual.s autonomy and of causing disablement
or sudden death. This is the reason of being of the Family and Community Medicine Residency Program and of the specialty itself. Finally the article addresses necessary practical actions, among others with respect to institutional difficulties especially those concerning training facilities. On the other hand, the program .Saúde na Vila. . a program for integral healthcare delivery maintained in the neighborhoods of the University Hospital . is emphasized as an extremely encouraging alternative.