Many physicians choose to specialize
in a particular patient group
or area of the body…
but family and general practitioners
work with patients of all ages
and a broad range of conditions:
from delivering babies
and providing check-ups
for school-age kids,
to caring for older adults
with chronic conditions.
Family doctors—
also called general practitioners or GPs—
work in settings such as
physicians’ offices and hospitals
where they see patients for acute care
and general health maintenance.
They diagnose injuries,
prescribe treatments, order tests,
and interpret test results.
Communication skills are essential in this field,
as family doctors need to explain
potentially anxiety-producing procedures
and discuss test results with patients.
Some GPs have surgical skills
and perform procedures such as biopsies
and vasectomies.
In more rural areas,
family practitioners have even broader duties,
ranging from removing an appendix
to delivering babies via C-section.
They sometimes care for their patients
when they are in the hospital.
GPs frequently consult with other doctors,
and refer patients to specialists
when needed.
Family practice doctors complete
four years of college,
four years of medical school,
then a three-year residency in family medicine.
Those who continue into specialty fields
may train for an additional one to three years.