A review focused on the preparedness of doctors for providing health care to members of ethnic minorities. Attention is drawn to wider contexts such as: concept of citizenship in a given country, concept of health and disease by minorities, possible cultural difference as regards behaviour of doctors and patients. The author deals also with health contexts: ethnic relations as regards introduction of population programmes for health maintenance and promotion, implementation of clinical research, dealing with members of ethnic minorities in the surgeries of general practitioners. Attention is devoted to the multicultural preparation of doctors as regards the development of cultural sensitivity, considerations of ethnic and other associations of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

        Key words: undergraduate and graduate medical education - multicultural medical education - medical curriculum - ethnic minorities - physicianatient relationship - compliance.