A family practice doctor is a type of primary care physician who provides care to people of all ages, from newborns to geriatric patients. They are generalists who can treat nearly any medical condition for patients of all ages. Family practice doctors often work in private office settings or with a group of other family practice doctors, but they can also work for community medicine clinics and in hospital settings. They are responsible for evaluating symptoms, diagnosing health problems, helping manage chronic conditions, and offering preventative care. Family practice doctors can also specialize in areas including sports medicine.
Family practice doctors provide comprehensive health care for people and are the only specialists qualified to treat most ailments. They participate in integrated inpatient and outpatient learning and receive training in six major medical areas: pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, psychiatry and neurology, surgery, and community medicine. They provide routine checkups, including well-baby and child visits, health risk assessments, immunizations, screening tests, healthy lifestyle counseling, and treatment of common chronic conditions. They also manage chronic illness, often coordinating care provided by other subspecialists. Family physicians provide the majority of care for America’s underserved rural and urban populations.
