Family Medicine Physician Job Description

Family Medicine

When a child has a flu virus, or you feel like you have a bladder infection, your family doctor is the best place to get the appropriate prescription medication. If your child needs immunizations for school or camp, your family doctor is the first point of contact. Family physicians know your medical history because they provide treatment to you and your family over a long period of time.

They know what normal is for you, and are the first person you will talk to if you have a new symptom. Your family doctor is familiar with your medical records and can quickly recognize a change that could be a serious or hidden condition. Family doctors are often the first to see you for any signs of illness, and they are often the first to detect emerging conditions.

They order, perform and interpret tests to diagnose conditions, explain the results to you, and then monitor your progress and reexamine your treatment when necessary. Family physicians manage a number of chronic and degenerative conditions, including strokes, heart disease, asthma, diabetes and cancer. They provide ongoing and personalized care to you through some of the most challenging times in your life, using diagnostic tests to assess your progress and determine the next best step in your individualized treatment plan.

Doctors supervise nurses, physician assistants and medical assistants. They coordinate with other health care providers. Are you ready to work with a Family Physician who is dedicated to supporting your family's health through all stages of life, and who is passionate about preventive medicine?

Family Physicians: A Career in Medicine

Family physicians offer medical care to adults and kids. They help prevent illnesses and injuries in the general population. Family physicians are unique in that they can provide medical care to all members of a family regardless of age or sex.

They diagnose symptoms, perform vaccinations, prescribe medications, and offer health and wellness advice on a daily basis. Being a family physician is a great choice for people who like science, problem-solving and creating long-term relationships with patients and their families. Family physicians work different hours depending on their setting.

They can travel between their office and other medical facilities to care for their patients. Family physicians visit patients in hospital settings when necessary. Their job is to provide comprehensive medical care to their patients.

Family physicians help repair and improve health problems. They order therapy for patients when necessary. Diagnostic and clinical tests are requested by family physicians.

They use test images and results to inform their exams and make accurate diagnoses. Family physicians explain test results to patients. Patients look to family physicians for advice.

Family Medicine Jobs

A family physician is usually the first choice when someone has a non- emergency health concern. Family physicians focus on the whole patient and provide on-going care over long periods of time. The family medicine job description involves treating a patient.

They form bonds. They are the doctors who do physicals. Family medicine helps in the prevention of health problems and the reduction of health risks.

A local family physician may follow an individual patient from infancy to adulthood. A family medicine doctor's job description includes annual screenings and monitoring of patients for conditions that may not be present. If family medicine doctors know a patient's family medical history, they can look for signs of a disease and make sure the patient is well cared for.

They also offer counseling on health and well being. Patients will most likely refer to their doctor as a family medical physician. They do sometimes treat an entire family, but they are not necessarily a family medicine practice.

One doctor may serve an entire community in a small community. It would be normal for a patient to have the same doctor for the rest of their lives. The family medicine job description requires that they look at the whole picture when it comes to their patients.

Family Practice Physicians in Arkansas and Rhode Island

Family practice doctors are usually the first point of contact for patients needing medical care. They are often the patient's primary care physician and make referrals to specialists as needed. Family practitioners need to have certain skills that some specialists might find less important, because they see a lot of patients of all ages with a variety of injuries or illnesses.

Maintaining accurate medical records is a critical aspect of treating patients. Family practice doctors have to make sure that they record information accurately because they see patients many times. When a patient returns, they must review the file to make sure the results of their tests are in.

New symptoms may be related to a previous condition. Paying attention to details can be important when making a diagnosis. The median annual income for family practice doctors was $172,020 in May of 2012 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

10 percent of them earned no more than $84,790 per year. They averaged $214,080 in Arkansas. The average salary in Iowa was $213,600, and in Rhode Island it was $205,700.

Family Medicine as a Multidimensional Tradition

The American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Physician Assistants have published a joint policy statement that states that family medicine is a multidimensional tradition. The AAPA reports that 54 percent of physician assistants in family medicine work in solo or group practices, while 23 percent work in community health centers and federally certified rural health facilities. There will not be enough physician assistants to meet patient demand over the next 20 years, according to workforce forecasters. Physician assistant programs are typically 27 months in length, with 12 months of education and 15 months of clinical rotation in a number of medical subspecialties.

How to Change Your Career As a Physician

Career changes for physicians and healthcare professionals with clinical medical jobs are not the same as career changes in other professions. Many doctors leave traditional clinical medicine for other healthcare jobs in their 30s or 40s because they are dissatisfied with the reality of practicing medicine When you become a licensed physician, you take a clinical job.

Taking a clinical position is expected by parents and significant others. It makes sense to go to medical school and make a living, because you will be able to pay back your loans. It doesn't work out for everyone, but there are many medical jobs that aren't clinical in nature that still allow for a thriving professional life.

You may have enjoyed your clinical career, but over time you have discovered your interests and passions. Maybe you participated in a research project that sparked your interest, or maybe you envy your fellow med school graduate who travels all over the U.S. as a locum tenens physician. It's not uncommon for a career you enjoy at 27 to be boring at 37 or 47.

Career burnout is a real risk in medicine. The hours are long, the administrative workload can be very tiring, and many aspects of practicing medicine are very emotional. Physician burnout can affect you in many ways.

There are many healthcare jobs that don't involve clinical practice but still use your medical education. Not all medicine is saving lives. You knew that going in, but as your career progresses, you may find it harder to be happy in what you do.