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Family Medicine Physicians
Diagnose, treat, and provide preventive care to individuals and families across the lifespan. May refer patients to specialists when needed for further diagnosis or treatment.
Other titles employers use
Board Certified Family Physician · Family Medicine Physician · Family Physician · Family Practice Medical Doctor (FP MD) · Family Practice Physician (FP Physician) · Family Practitioner · Medical Doctor (MD) · Medical Staff Physician
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
- Order, perform, and interpret tests and analyze records, reports, and examination information to diagnose patients' condition.
- Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, or examination results.
- Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
- Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
- Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, analytical and organizing work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Subjects to know
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- Biology
Useful strengths
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 5.0 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 2.9 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 5.0 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.8 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a doctorate or a professional degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A doctorate or professional degree 88%
- A master's degree 10%
- A four-year degree 2%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Medical software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Billing and invoicing software
- Electronic mail software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Internet browser software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 18,000
- Job openings each year
- 650
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 12.5%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 18,000 | 650 | 12.5% |
| Texas | 10,710 | 410 | 15.2% |
| Florida | 7,710 | 270 | 11.3% |
| Arizona | 5,750 | 240 | 21.1% |
| New York | 5,430 | 100 | 23.7% |
| Virginia | 5,380 | 190 | 11.2% |
| Colorado | 4,200 | 150 | 12.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 4,160 | 130 | 4.3% |
| Ohio | 4,000 | 110 | — |
| Missouri | 3,780 | 100 | 1.1% |
| Illinois | 3,270 | 90 | — |
| Minnesota | 3,240 | 90 | 2.9% |
| New Jersey | 3,160 | 100 | 7.8% |
| Michigan | 2,510 | 70 | 2.4% |
| Wisconsin | 2,330 | 80 | 8.9% |
| Tennessee | 2,320 | 80 | 10.5% |
| Kentucky | 2,230 | 70 | 3.7% |
| Iowa | 2,070 | 70 | 10.1% |
| North Carolina | 1,940 | 70 | 11.5% |
| South Carolina | 1,790 | 60 | 9.8% |
| Oklahoma | 1,750 | 50 | 1.7% |
| Nebraska | 1,690 | 50 | 5.6% |
| Maryland | 1,570 | 50 | 4.7% |
| Georgia | 1,530 | 60 | 10.9% |
| Arkansas | 1,470 | 50 | 8.1% |
| Idaho | 1,460 | 60 | 16.8% |
| Washington | 1,450 | 70 | 11.5% |
| Massachusetts | 1,310 | 40 | 4.8% |
| Connecticut | 990 | 30 | 5.3% |
| Utah | 940 | 50 | 32.4% |
| Indiana | 920 | 30 | 2.2% |
| Mississippi | 850 | 20 | 1.2% |
| New Mexico | 840 | 40 | 21.7% |
| Montana | 820 | 30 | 10.8% |
| Oregon | 770 | 30 | 11.6% |
| Puerto Rico | 770 | 30 | 11.6% |
| New Hampshire | 720 | 20 | 5.9% |
| Alabama | 630 | 20 | 6.8% |
| Maine | 610 | 20 | −1.6% |
| Delaware | 550 | 20 | 10.0% |
| South Dakota | 510 | 20 | 8.5% |
| Alaska | 470 | 20 | 11.9% |
| Vermont | 390 | 10 | — |
| Louisiana | 280 | 10 | — |
| Kansas | 230 | 10 | — |
| Wyoming | 200 | 10 | 5.3% |
| North Dakota | 170 | 10 | 6.3% |
| West Virginia | 170 | 0 | 6.3% |
| District of Columbia | 100 | 0 | 11.1% |
Career to college
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Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.