Family and General Practitioners

Career summary

#checked 2/28/19 lh

Most family and general practitioners are primary care physicians and often the first point of contact for people seeking health care. They treat infants, children, and adults. They see the same patients on a regular basis. For serious conditions, they refer patients to health care specialists for testing or treatment.

Family and general practitioners ask patients questions to learn about their medical history. They examine patients and, if necessary, order lab tests. They explain test results and review treatment options with patients and their families. If more than one treatment is available, they help patients decide which option to choose.

Sometimes family and general practitioners perform minor surgery on patients or deliver babies. They monitor a patient's condition and make changes in the treatment plan if needed. They also talk to patients about good health practices, such as diet and exercise.

Family and general practitioners share similar tasks with other types of physicians, they:

• Assign tasks to nurses and other health care workers
• Consult with other health care professionals
• Oversee the business aspects of running an office
• Keep detailed records about each patient
• Write reports for insurance companies and government agencies

Some family and general practitioners teach at medical schools. They may also do research on procedures and treatments for disease. Advances in medicine require doctors to update their skills regularly.

Related careers

This career is part of the Health Science cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Acupuncturists
• Allergists and Immunologists
• Anesthesiologists
• Dermatologists
• Internists
• Naturopathic Physicians
• Nurse Practitioners
• Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Pediatricians
• Pharmacists
• Physician Assistants
• Podiatrists
• Psychiatrists
• Radiologists
• Surgeons
• University and College Teachers
• Veterinarians

Military careers

• Physicians and Surgeons

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to family and general practitioners.

• Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medicine, or other specialized medical care.
• Order or perform tests on patients. Analyze results and make diagnoses
• Examine patients to find location of health problems.
• Monitor the patients' conditions and progress. Re-evaluate treatments as needed.
• Refer patients to health care specialists when needed.
• Assign tasks to nurses and other health workers.
• Perform medical procedures, such as delivering babies and performing surgery.
• Recommend treatment and discuss with patients.
• Counsel patients on preventive health measures, such as diet and exercise.
• Counsel family members about patient's condition.
• Keep detailed records on patients' health.
• Write chart notes. Fill out paperwork for government agencies or insurance companies.
• Take classes to update skills.

Common work activities

Family and general practitioners perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Document and record information
• Get information needed to do the job
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Assist and care for others
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Evaluate information against standards
• Analyze data or information
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Process information
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Perform for or work with the public
• Use computers
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed
• Teach others
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Think creatively
• Develop goals and strategies
• Coordinate the work and activities of others

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, family and general practitioners:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a high level of social interaction with others. Physicians work closely with patients and other health care workers.
• Are greatly responsible for the health and safety of others.
• Are responsible for the work done by the health care workers they supervise.
• Are often placed in conflict situations in which they must deal with patients and family members who might be angry or unpleasant.
• Communicate daily by phone, letters, memos, and in person. They use e-mail, but less frequently.
• Usually work as part of a team of medical professionals.

Physical work conditions

• Always work indoors in clinics and hospitals.
• Often wear a special uniform, such as a white jacket.
• Are exposed daily to the diseases or infections that their patients have.
• Often wear masks or rubber gloves to protect themselves and their patients from disease.
• Work very near others. They must come into close physical contact with patients during examinations.

Work performance

• Must be very exact in their work and be sure all details are complete. Errors or omissions could seriously endanger the health and safety of patients.
• Repeat the same physical and mental tasks.
• Make decisions on a daily basis that substantially impact patients and their families.
• Make nearly all their decisions and set their daily tasks and goals independently.
• Work in a moderately competitive, stressful atmosphere where they must meet daily deadlines.

Hours/travel

• Usually work more than 40 hours per week.
• Generally work a set schedule.
• May be on-call, which means available to work on short notice to handle emergencies.

Physical demands

Family and general practitioners frequently:

• Sit for long periods of time.

It is important for family and general practitioners to be able to:

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
• Understand the speech of another person.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for family and general practitioners to be able to:

• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
• Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.

Skills and abilities

Family and general practitioners need to:

Communicate

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand spoken information.
• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Understand written information.
• Read and understand work-related materials.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.

Reason and problem solve

• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.
• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.

Use math and science

• Use scientific methods to solve problems.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Manage the time of self and others.
• Motivate, develop, and direct people as they work.
• Go back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information without becoming confused.

Work with people

• Look for ways to help people.
• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.
• Teach others how to do something.
• Solve problems by bringing others together to discuss differences.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.

Perceive and visualize

• Identify a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in distracting material.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Medicine
• Naturopathic Medicine
• Osteopathic Medicine

Other programs of study to consider

• Biomedical Sciences, General
• Podiatric Medicine
• Pre-Medicine

Training

To work as a family and general practitioner, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent;
• have a bachelor's degree;
• graduate from medical school;
• complete an internship;
• pass a state licensing exam;
• complete a residency program in family and general medicine; and
• pass additional exams to become board certified.

Education after high school

To become a doctor, you must complete medical school. Medical schools grant a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. You spend the first two years of medical school in classrooms and labs. You study anatomy, biochemistry, and medicines. You also learn how to take a medical history, examine patients, and make a diagnosis. During the next two years, you work in hospitals and clinics under the supervision of physicians.

You need a bachelor's degree to get into medical school. While you do not need to be a pre-medicine or science major, these programs are good preparation. If you earn a liberal arts degree, be sure to take courses in physics, biology, and chemistry.

On-the-job training

While in medical school, you spend two years working as an intern in a hospital or clinic. As an intern, you rotate through internal medicine, family medicine, obstetrics, oncology, and other hospital departments.

After medical school, you complete a residency program in family and general medicine. Residency lasts from three to five years. Residents usually work in hospitals. After your residency, you take additional exams to become board certified.

Military training

The military provides advanced training for doctors. However, it does not provide the initial training to become a doctor. Scholarships for advanced medical training are available in return for a required period of military service.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum  may be different from your state's graduation requirements . You need a very strong background in math and science to become a doctor. Take as many math and science courses as you can.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Child Development
• Computer Applications
• Food and Nutrition
• Foreign Language
• Introduction to Health Care
• Nursing
• Safety and First Aid

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups  that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Many family and general practitioners begin work by joining a group practice or clinic. Some go to work for the hospital where they completed their residency.

The hiring process begins with a background check of the applicant. Employers evaluate past work experience and malpractice lawsuit records. The applicants are interviewed by several of the doctors from the facility they are applying to. Employers look for applicants with good communication skills. They look for family and general practitioners who can relate to many different people that come to the practice for care.

Tips

Part-time or volunteer work in physicians' offices and in hospitals may provide an opportunity to observe the daily activities of physicians. Academic performance in college is very important.

Costs to workers

Family and general practitioners who have borrowed money to pay school expenses have large debt payments for the first few years after graduation. The average educational debt for medical students who graduated in 2018 was $196,520 with 83% percent owing at least $100,000.  Malpractice insurance is expensive. To enter private practice, family and general practitioners must invest in equipment, office space, and staffing costs. Estimated costs range from $75,000 to $100,000 or more.

#debt data copied from internists 2/28/19 lh

Licensing/certification

Family and general practitioners must be licensed by the State of Washington as either medical or osteopathic physicians. Licensing requirements include:

• a good moral character;
• physical and mental capability to safely perform the duties of a physician;
• completion of a four-year doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine program at an approved medical school;
• one year (osteopathic physician) or two years (medical physician) approved post-graduate training;
• completion of four- (medical physician) or seven- (osteopathic physician) clock hours AIDS education; and
• passing a national written exam.

For more information on the US Medical Licensing Exam, call 215.590.9500 or go to the National Board of Medical Examiners  website.

Osteopathic doctors must complete 150 hours of continuing education every three years and medical doctors must complete 200 hours of continuing education every four years.

Licensing fees vary ranging from $491 (medical physicians) to $391 (osteopathic physicians) for the application. The annual renewal fee for osteopathic physicians is $441 and the biannual renewal fee for medical physicians is $657. The combined fee for an application and state exam for osteopathic practitioners is $516. The licensing and the renewal fees generally include an access fee for health-related online library journals and publications and a Washington physician health program surcharge.

For more information on medical doctors, contact:

Washington Medical Commission 
PO Box 47866
Olympia, WA 98504-7866
360.236.2750

For information on osteopathic doctors, contact:

Washington State Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery 
PO Box 47877
Olympia, WA 98504-7865
360.236.4700

#Checked licensing information  3/27/18 cj. updated license tag, need to have Scott check and promote 2/28/19 lh

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Family and General Practitioners 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Wages vary by employer, years of experience, and hours worked. The doctor's skill, personality, and professional reputation also affect wages. Self-employed doctors generally earn more than those who are not self-employed.

Physicians usually receive benefits. Typical benefits include sick leave, paid vacation, health insurance, and a retirement plan. 

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Major employers:

• Doctors' offices
• Hospitals
• Federal, state, and local government agencies

National outlook

Demand for this occupation will be strong due to the increase in population and especially due to the increase in elderly patients. New health care laws also mean that more people will see doctors. Factors that will limit growth are advances in technology that allow more patients to be seen each day. Also more people see nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

Family and general practitioners who are willing to move to rural and low-income areas should have little trouble finding a job.

Other resources

American Academy of Family Physicians 
PO Box 11210
Shawnee Mission, KS 66207-1210
800.274.2237
913.906.6000

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine 
5550 Friendship Boulevard, Suite 310
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
301.968.4100

American Medical Association 

American Medical Association - Medical Student Section 

American Osteopathic Association 
142 East Ontario Street
Chicago, IL 60611
800.621.1773
312.202.8000

Aspiring Docs Website from the American Association of Medical Colleges 

Careers in Family Medicine 

Deciding if Medicine is for You 

Explore Health Careers: Medicine Overview 

The Student Doctor Network 

US Small Business Administration 
Seattle District Office
2401 Fourth Avenue, Suite 450
Seattle, WA 98121
206.553.7310

Washington Academy of Family Physicians 
1239 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite G
Bellevue, WA 98005
425.747.3100

Washington Osteopathic Medical Association 
PO Box 1187
Gig Harbor, WA 98335
425.677.3930

Washington State Medical Association 
2001 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2700
Seattle, WA 98121
800.552.0612
206.441.9762

What is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine? 

What is Osteopathic Medicine? 
(from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine)

References

Career cluster

• Health Science

Career path

• Investigative (Science)

O*Net  occupation

• Family and General Practitioners (29-1062.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 5 - Extensive preparation needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.

DOT occupations

• Family Practitioner (070.101-026) 
• General Practitioner (070.101-022) 
• Physician, Occupational (070.101-078) 
• Public Health Physician (070.101-046) 

Strong Interest Inventory

• Physician

Holland occupational cluster

• Investigative/Social/Realistic

COPSystem

• Science Professional
• Service Professional