Family medicine, also known as general medicine, is a medical specialty that covers general healthcare for people of all ages. A doctor who specializes in family medicine is called a family physician or general practitioner. Family physicians perform annual checkups, immunize patients, diagnose and treat illnesses, counsel patients on health issues, and administer screening tests.
A family physician might work for a hospital or in a solo or group practice. Another option for a general practitioner is to specialize further and go into the sports medicine, urgent care, or public health fields. A doctor practicing family medicine will often serve as the primary care doctor for ...
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Family medicine, also known as general medicine, is a medical specialty that covers general healthcare for people of all ages. A doctor who specializes in family medicine is called a family physician or general practitioner. Family physicians perform annual checkups, immunize patients, diagnose and treat illnesses, counsel patients on health issues, and administer screening tests.
A family physician might work for a hospital or in a solo or group practice. Another option for a general practitioner is to specialize further and go into the sports medicine, urgent care, or public health fields. A doctor practicing family medicine will often serve as the primary care doctor for patients throughout their entire lives. If a patient develops a medical condition that the family doctor is not equipped to deal with, the doctor might refer the patient to a specialist. In most cases, the family physician and specialist coordinate the patient's care.
To specialize in family medicine, you must first graduate from an accredited medical school and obtain an M.D. or D. O. degree. After graduation, you must do a three year residency program at an accredited hospital and then take the board certification exam to qualify as a practicing physician.
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