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What is family medicine?

Family medicine covers many physical and mental diseases and treats the whole family as a unit. Family physicians, or "family practice doctors," are specialists trained in general family medicine.

WONCA (the World Organization of Family Doctors) defines family medicine as a branch of primary care that aims to provide personalized, comprehensive, and ongoing healthcare to the entire family. From a medical perspective, family practices and doctors play a critical role in the community. 

Who is a family physician?

A family physician is a certified doctor who specializes in family medicine. They can assess symptoms, treat most illnesses, and make appropriate referrals to other medical professionals. People of all ages can benefit from the services provided by family physicians, who are adaptable enough to work in various medical settings. Ultrasonography, vasectomy, tubal ligation, and pulmonary function tests are just a few of the procedures they perform.

A family physician can practice in a hospital or a clinic. They also work with other family doctors in community clinics. Family physicians perform health risk assessments, routine checkups, screening tests, and the treatment of common chronic disorders, among other things. They also check vitals, prescribe frequent blood tests, pap smears, and prostate examinations, and evaluate the growth of babies and children. 

What education and training does a family physician go through?

As mentioned above, a family physician treats individuals of all ages, from infancy to old age. Several accredited medical colleges and osteopathic medical schools offer family medicine experts the opportunity to continue their studies after completing their bachelor's degrees.

Before a family physician can practice, they must meet the following requirements:

• To practice medicine, physicians must study medicine for three to four years.
• Family physicians must undertake board tests, such as the USMLE (the United States Medical Licensing Examination) or COMLEX(the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States). These tests are an excellent way to demonstrate their ability to practice medicine professionally.
• They also undergo a residency program that lasts three to four years and involves rotations in obstetrics, pediatrics, general surgery, emergency medicine, and inpatient hospital care (including critical care).
• Physicians must acquire certification in family medicine from the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians and the American Board of Family Medicine(AOBFP).
• Besides certifications, physicians must also obtain necessary permits from the state where they practice.

Subspecialties within family medicine

Family physicians may undergo further training to specialize in any of the following family medicine subspecialties. 

• Hospice and palliative medicine

This subspecialty focuses on caring for patients with life-limiting illnesses. Specialists collaborate with palliative or hospice care teams to address the social, physical, spiritual, and psychological needs of patients and their families, aiming to improve the patients’ quality of life.

• Pain medicine

This subspecialty involves managing chronic, acute, or cancer-related pain in both outpatient and hospital settings. Pain medicine specialists often work with other healthcare providers to optimize patient care.

• Adolescent medicine

It is a multidisciplinary healthcare specialization that addresses the unique social, physical, and psychological needs of adolescents, along with their specific health concerns and conditions.

• Geriatric medicine

Geriatric medicine involves caring for older adults, emphasizing the prevention, diagnosis, management, rehabilitation, and treatment of conditions common in this age group. Geriatric specialists provide care in various settings, including homes, clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes. 

• Sleep medicine

This subspecialty focuses on diagnosing and managing sleep disorders that affect sleep quality or disrupt the normal sleep-wake cycle. Sleep medicine specialists are trained to interpret polysomnography results and manage sleep laboratories effectively.

• Sports medicine

Sports medicine involves preventing, diagnosing, and treating injuries or conditions related to sports and physical activity. It also addresses diseases and illnesses that impact physical performance. 

• Healthcare Administration

This subspecialty equips family physicians with the expertise needed to manage healthcare organizations. Specialists focus on organizational effectiveness, patient safety, process improvement, and enhancing the patient experience. They collaborate with stakeholders to build robust, patient-centric healthcare systems and often serve in leadership roles such as medical director, dean, vice president, or C-suite executive in government agencies, hospitals, academic institutions, or health systems.

What are the medical ailments overseen by family physicians?

Family doctors oversee and provide primary care for various diseases, injuries, and other conditions while caring for their patients. Some of the notable ones are:

• Respiratory infections
• Hypertension
• Routine health checkups
• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Mental health diseases like depression or anxiety
• Pneumonia
• Acute otitis media
• Back pain
• Dermatitis and skin diseases
• Minor burns
• Fungal infections
• Nose bleeds
• Cancer screenings
• Execution of minor surgical operations and assistance with significant surgeries
• Care for expecting women during labor and delivery

Reasons to see a family physician

You may need to visit a family physician near you for several reasons, including managing chronic diseases, care for illness or injury, and standard exams. Family medicine doctors are qualified to treat and monitor chronic diseases and conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney and heart disease, high cholesterol, arthritis, skin problems, and breathing issues like asthma and COPD. They can also prescribe refills for medications to treat chronic conditions and often work with specialists to coordinate prescriptions and monitor the patient's condition.

Further, family physicians can treat simple fractures and sprains, flu and cold symptoms, stomach viruses, seasonal allergies, ear infections, and others. Often, these experts can treat the condition independently without requiring specialist intervention.

Routine exams are another reason for visiting a family physician. They perform multiple exams like annual physicals, newborn and children checkups, sports physicals, men's health screenings, and female pelvic exams. Family medicine doctors can also recommend and suggest qualified specialists when necessary.

What to expect at a family physician appointment?

What tests and procedures your doctor performs during your visit will depend on the reason for your appointment. Your family physician may conduct various assessments, such as checking your vital signs (blood pressure, body temperature, heartbeat, and breathing rate), requesting routine blood tests to screen for conditions like diabetes or high cholesterol, and administering immunizations. Further, they may conduct head and neck exams, abdominal exams, skin exams, and women's health screenings like pap smears, osteoporosis screenings, mammogram referrals, and sexual health screenings.

The doctor may also conduct health screenings, such as prostate exams, aortic aneurysm screenings, and colorectal exam referrals for men. They may also perform infant and child screenings to evaluate growth. Additionally, your doctor will ask questions about your lifestyle habits, medications, mental wellness, and other health-related concerns to understand your health better.

Role of family physicians during COVID-19 

Family physicians found themselves at the forefront and core of the crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak as they were thrust into the limelight like never before. It resulted from the emphasis on teleconsultation, virtual appointments, and home isolation. People went to their primary care physicians as usual at the first sign of illness, and this behavior did not change throughout the pandemic. Due to the high volume of calls that family physicians received daily from anxious patients, they had to put in extra work hours during this period. They were involved in the process of detecting probable patients with COVID-19, triaging those patients, and isolating those patients.

Family physicians provided prompt, effective, and helpful guidance to patients who had mild cases of COVID-19 without any complications. They have also been responsible for various other activities throughout the past two years, including providing patients with immunization advice and directing them to local vaccination clinics.

Ways to enjoy good health and well-being 

Achieving a healthy body and mind is all about making lifestyle choices. Here are some simple steps you can take to enjoy a happy, healthy, and productive life: 

• Choose a physical activity you enjoy and commit to practicing it for 20-40 minutes daily. It could be walking, running, cycling, dancing, swimming, weight training, or household chores. 
• If you work in a sedentary position, make it a point to get up and move every 30 minutes from your seat. You could take a restroom break, refill your water bottle, stretch, or walk. 
• Eat more whole foods, including fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, lean meat, legumes, nuts and seeds, dairy products, and healthy fats. Since these foods are in their natural form, they provide more nutrients. As far as possible, steer clear of refined products, processed meats, sugary treats, fried foods, and instant meals. 
• Drink enough water throughout the day. While standard figures suggest that you need at least eight glasses of water daily, you may need to increase your intake if you reside in a hot and humid area or do physical activity.  
• If you smoke, vape, chew tobacco, take drugs, or drink excessive alcohol, push yourself towards quitting these habits. 
• Get enough quality sleep every night. You can do so by building a good sleep routine—stop screen time an hour before bed, create a cozy sleep environment, change into fresh clothes, journal, read a book, take a warm bath, stretch, and practice deep breathing.
• Use healthy stress management strategies such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, yoga, tai chi, meditation, or creative art. 
• Go for regular preventative physical exams and screenings depending on your age, family history, and health risks.  

Finding a family physician near you in Alexandria

It's best to have a primary care physician, like a family physician, to care for you and your family. Family doctors primarily maintain long-term relationships with their patients, and those relationships typically endure for a lifetime. When you have a family doctor, they are aware of your medical history. If you've been looking for a family physician with extensive experience in Alexandria, Virginia, we can assist you in locating a candidate who satisfies all of your criteria.

Sign up for a free account on the Zocdoc platform. We offer many options, including choosing a specific region and gender, language, insurance plan, and hospital affiliations. After your search on our platform, you can access a list of family doctors that meet your needs. You can find the credentials, accreditations, licenses, and ratings of each family physician on this list by clicking on their profiles.

If you want to know your insurance plan, upload an image of your insurance card to your Zocdoc account, and we will find and display information regarding your insurance plan (this facility is not available for vision or dental plans). You can even contact the Zocdoc service team if you need help uploading a photo of your card. You can also check out Zocdoc's patient help center for more information and solutions related to insurance.

Verified patient reviews and ratings can provide a clear picture of what to expect from a potential family doctor. You may book an appointment once you've finalized a family physician near you. Many doctors in our directory also provide online and after-hours consultations for their patients' convenience. Choose a time that fits you and your doctor perfectly, and everything is ready! All bookings made on Zocdoc are entirely straightforward, safe, and free! 

Vital stats you should know

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation report, in September 2021, the United States of America recorded 494,821 licensed primary care physicians actively practicing.

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2017, Virginia witnessed 1,967 fatalities due to diabetes, 14,861 deaths due to heart disease, and 3,555 deaths due to stroke. Regular consultations with family physicians can help patients diagnose their ailments early.

According to a new study from the Reuters Health research team, primary care providers in the United States have decreased by 2% in the past decade. The findings show that the percentage of adults in the US who had a primary care physician dropped from 77% in 2002 to 75% in 2015.

According to the Virginia Center for Health Innovation’s 2026 Primary Care Investment Report, family physicians provided 35.0% of all broadly defined primary care visits in Virginia in 2024, making them the largest physician group delivering primary care.

Sources

WebMD

Virginia Center for Health Innovation

Society of teacher of family medicine

Gonzaba Medical Group 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Boston University 

American Academy of Family Physicians

National Center for Biotechnology Information

Healthline

Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health

American Board of Medical Specialties

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.