Careers in Medicine: Specialty Information

Family Medicine

Nature of the work

A family physician is concerned with the total health care of the individual and the family, and is trained to diagnose and treat a wide variety of ailments in patients of all ages. Special emphasis is placed on prevention and the primary care of entire families, utilizing consultations and community resources. More patient visits are made to family physicians than to any other type of physician.

Family physicians can receive training in the following subspecialties:

• Geriatric Medicine - special knowledge of the aging process and special skills in the diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive and rehabilitative aspects of illness in the elderly.
• Sports Medicine - deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of injuries sustained in athletic endeavors.

Training/residency information

The residency training for family practice is three years. The family physician receives a broad range of training that includes internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry and geriatrics. An additional year of training is required to be certified in a subspecialty.

Workforce and salary information

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, the demand for family physicians far surpasses the demand for all other specialties. Health care systems are particularly reliant on family physicians because of their ability to practice with the greatest cost efficiency. Incomes of family physicians are comparable to those of other primary care physicians. The annual salary ranges from approximately $142,200 to $190,000.

For more information

• American Board of Family Medicine
• American Academy of Family Physicians
• American Geriatrics Society
• American College of Sports Medicine

Source: The American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the "2006 Physician Compensation Survey," Modern Healthcare. July 17, 2006. (Based on surveys conducted by American Medical Group Association; Cejka Search; Daniel Stern & Associates; Delta Physician Placement; Hay Group; Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service; Jackson & Coker; Martin, Fletcher & Associates; MD Network; Medical Group Management Association; Medicus Partners; Merritt, Hawkins & Associates; Pcific Cos.; Pinnacle Helaht Group; and Sullivan, Cotter & Associates.)

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