Family Medicine

Sophie Baldwin, 11/5/23

Family medicine doctors are primary care physicians who diagnose and treat a wide variety of diseases, as well as conduct yearly checkups and regular visits. Family medicine doctors do not perform surgical procedures. Because family doctors can see dozens of different kinds of patients each day, this field is great for people who enjoy seeing variety in their work. Additionally, family medicine physicians can stay with their patients for years, or even decades. This makes it a good field for those who want to form long-term connections with their patients. However, the field is not as dynamic as many other surgical fields, which can make it seem boring to some.

Fast Facts

• Salary: $211,000

• DO friendly? Yes

• IMG friendly? Yes

• Competitiveness: Low

• Match rate (2015): 96%

• Average step-one: 225

• Surgical? No

Becoming a Family Medicine Doctor

• 4 years of undergraduate

• 4 years of medical school

• 3 years of family medicine residency

• 1 years of fellowship (optional)

Work-life Balance

Family medicine doctors generally have a favorable work-life balance. Because they work in outpatient settings, they are rarely called in for emergencies. Typical work weeks for family medicine physicians can vary greatly. Because many family doctors work in private practice (meaning they run their own practices), they can create their own work schedule, allowing them to work as much or as little as they'd like. While family medicine doctors have a good work-life balance, they are some of the lowest-paid physicians. This can cause burnout for a lot of doctors, as many may feel as though they are not being compensated well enough.

Fellowships

• Geriatric Medicine (1 year)

• Sports Medicine (1 year)

Job Satisfaction and Outlook

• 48% are satisfied with their career (AAFP)

• 51% report burnout (2022) (AAFP)

• 7% projected job growth (2018-2028) (Zippia)

Sources

https://residency.wustl.edu/choosing-a-specialty/specialty-descriptions/family-medicine/

https://medschoolinsiders.com/medical-student/ranking-doctor-specialties-by-step-scores/#:~:text=Specialties%20with%20the%20Highest%20%26%20Lowest%20Step%201%20Scores&text=At%20the%20other%20end%20of,in%20last%20place%20at%20225

https://www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/family-physician-burnout.html

https://www.zippia.com/family-medicine-physician-jobs/trends/