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Who is a family physician?

A family physician or a family practice doctor is a medical practitioner trained to evaluate symptoms, treat common and chronic conditions, and offer preventive care for all family members. Through in-depth interaction and personal bonding, they can assess the root cause of an ailment and advise suitable remedies that may include medication, lifestyle changes, or consulting a specialist. 

What does a family physician do?

Family physicians offer a broad spectrum of healthcare services. The responsibilities of a family doctor, amongst several others, include:

• Regular health checkups for the entire family 
• Assess any impending critical conditions 
• Vaccination and immunizations
• Necessary screening tests based on symptoms and the family's medical history
• Healthy lifestyle guidance
• Medication for chronic diseases

Family doctors can also specialize in sports medicine, emergency care, and public health services. They may refer their patients to specialists if the diagnosis requires a specialist's care or opinion.

Education and training of a family physician

Every aspirant must earn a bachelor's degree before they apply for medical school. Aspiring students are accepted into various medical schools nationwide after successfully clearing the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). They must undergo four-year medical training in an accredited medical or osteopathic school. 

After completing medical school, they sit for the United States Medical Licensing Examination to complete a residency in family medicine to become a specialist. A residency program takes about three to four years to complete. Residency programs cover a diverse area of training, both theoretical and practical. After residency, doctors pursue certification courses through the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) or the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians (AOBFP). 

Family medicine subspecialties 

Family medicine emphasizes integrated care and treating the patient, and physicians are thoroughly trained to provide complete healthcare and treat most disorders. There are numerous subspecialties available to doctors because of the broad scope of these specializations. Some of those include: 

• Adolescent medicine: A family physician specializing in adolescent medicine is a multidisciplinary healthcare specialist. They are experts in the physical, psychological, and social aspects that are particular to adolescents and their healthcare concerns.
• Geriatric medicine: These family physicians specialize in aging and caring for geriatric patients in homes, offices, and long-term care facilities like hospitals and nursing homes. They have specific skills and abilities that allow them to help diagnose, treat, prevent, and rehabilitate senior ailments.
• Hospice and palliative medicine: These specialists are family physicians who treat patients with life-limiting illnesses to prevent and reduce their suffering. They collaborate with an interdisciplinary hospice or palliative care team to improve their patient's quality of life. They are also trained to assist their patients and their loved ones' physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs.
• Pain medicine: These specialists are family physicians who care for individuals dealing with acute or chronic pain in hospital and outpatient settings. They also address cancer-related discomfort and collaborate with other specialists to coordinate the patient's needs.
• Sleep medicine: These family physicians are professionals in diagnosing and treating clinical disorders occurring during sleep. It can include conditions that interfere with sleep or are affected by disruptions in the wake-sleep cycle. Sleep medicine specialists may analyze and interpret comprehensive polysomnography and manage sleep laboratories.
• Sports medicine: These family physicians specialize in preventing, diagnosing, and treating sports and exercise injuries. The specialization also deals with illnesses and diseases that influence health and physical performance.

General practice vs. family practice

A family physician provides primary medical care to all family members regardless of age. You must first register with a family practice to receive services from a family physician. They undergo specialized training in identifying and treating various medical disorders that affect everyone in the family. They learn your and your family's medical history, helping you maintain overall health and wellness.

General practitioners provide comprehensive medical care to people of all ages but do not often specialize in a particular medical field. In addition to treating your medical problem, a general practitioner identifies areas that require additional care from a specialist.

Family medicine vs. internal medicine

The distinctions between family physicians and internists stem from their training and patient care approaches. Internal medicine focuses on patient-specific concerns and organ systems, while family medicine addresses the needs of patients across all age groups as a social unit. 

Internists mainly focus on preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases in adults and can help manage complicated medical conditions with specialized knowledge. In contrast, family physicians have a broader scope of practice, allowing them to address various medical issues and tailor their care to individual patient needs. They also have a vital role in coordinating care among specialists to ensure comprehensive treatment for their patients.

When do you need to visit your family physician? 

Your family physician is the go-to medical expert for all your ailments. You can consult them if any of the following issues are bothering you - 

• Sudden injury: you may have injured yourself in activities, such as playing sports, doing household chores, lifting heavy weights, etc. Your family physician can handle bruises, deep cuts, or broken bones. 
• Fever, stomach bugs, etc.: Common ailments such as flu, pneumonia, stomach pain, seasonal allergies, etc., fall within the purview of your family practice doctor. 
• Routine checkups: Your body is like a machine that requires periodic monitoring for effective functioning and durability. Regular checkups, such as annual physicals, sports physicals, newborn and well-child visits, prostate evaluation for men, cancer screening tests like pap smears for women, etc., may prevent any severe diseases in the future. 
• Chronic disease monitoring: Family physicians are well-trained in tackling chronic ailments like diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, high cholesterol, asthma, heart diseases, and more. Lifestyle disorders such as these require regular physician monitoring for a better prognosis. 
• Specialist referrals: Knowing your medical and family history and financial background, family physicians can best refer you to a suitable specialist when needed. 

What can you expect during an appointment with a family physician near you? 

During a visit to a family physician, the procedures conducted will vary depending on the purpose of your appointment. Generally, you can anticipate several examinations and tests to assess your overall health. These may include checking the patient's vitals, such as blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, and breathing rate. Your family physician may perform routine blood tests to detect conditions like high cholesterol or diabetes. Immunizations may be administered if needed.

Additionally, specific tests tailored to women's health, such as Pap smears, osteoporosis screening, mammography referrals, and sexual health screening, may be conducted. Similarly, the doctor might recommend men's health tests like prostate exams, aortic aneurysm screenings, and colon exams. They also screen to evaluate the growth and development of infants and children. During the appointment, your physician will also discuss lifestyle habits, medications, mental health, and any other health concerns you may have. This comprehensive approach ensures that your physician gains a thorough understanding of your health and can provide appropriate care and recommendations tailored to your individual needs.

What is an annual physical exam and what does it include?

Family medicine doctors perform various routine check-ups, including annual physical exams. These help doctors assess your overall health, detect early signs of serious illnesses, and prescribe the required treatment. They can also suggest preventive measures that might help you avoid certain health problems. 

Typically, annual physical exams include the following tests:

• Vital signs: Your doctor will start by assessing your vital signs (body temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and respiratory rate), which offer them clues about any underlying conditions you might have and/or help them track your progress toward recovery.
• Heart and lung exams: They will use a stethoscope to listen to your heart and detect an irregular heartbeat, a heart murmur, wheezes, crackles, decreased breath sounds, and other clues of heart and/or lung conditions.
• Head and neck exams: Your doctor will inspect your throat, tonsils, ears, nose, eyes, sinuses, lymph nodes, thyroid, carotid arteries, teeth, and gums. 
• Dermatological exam: They will examine your skin and nails to detect dermatological problems or diseases in other parts of your body.
• Neurological exam: They will assess your nerves, balance, reflexes, muscle strength, and mental state. 
• Abdominal exam: For this, your doctor will utilize various techniques. They will tap your abdomen to check for the presence of abdominal fluid, detect the size of your liver, listen for bowel sounds using a stethoscope, and palpate for tenderness.
• Extremities exam: They will look for sensory and physical changes, check your pulses, and inspect your joints for abnormalities.

What is the role of family physicians during the pandemic (COVID-19)?

Family practice doctors are the first point of contact for any medical ailment in the family; hence, their role during the pandemic can't be overemphasized. Apart from primary medical care, they are also expected to play a broader role in spreading awareness about the disease, imbibing a preventive-care mindset in the community, and addressing the psychological stress and anxiety surrounding the pandemic.

The World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) supports WHO's recommendation to boost primary care facilities in the face of the deadly pandemic. Not just in combating COVID-19, family doctors are gatekeepers who can prevent any future infection from spreading to such gigantic numbers globally. A family physician-led, robust primary healthcare system is the answer to the coronavirus threat. Thus, these medical experts have increased their responsibilities after the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Finding the right family physician near you in Baltimore, MD

Family doctors are often associated with their patients long-term, so you may see the same doctor since childhood. However, it may happen that either the doctor has moved elsewhere or you may have relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, recently. In that case, finding a good family physician could be critical to settling down. Online search terms such as "family doctor near me" can help you locate the best doctors in your locality.

The Zocdoc website makes this a hassle-free experience for you. Our user-friendly interface allows seamless navigation, enabling you to run through the individual profiles of physicians empaneled with us. You can browse their academic credentials, professional accreditations, licenses, and ratings. 

Using Zocdoc’s insurance detector, you can quickly identify in-network providers near you. When booking an appointment on Zocdoc, the website prompts you to share details about your insurance or to acknowledge that you are paying out-of-pocket. Some healthcare providers need you to provide insurance information in order to schedule appointments with them. If you do not have insurance or do not want to use insurance for your appointment, you can always find another suitable provider on Zocdoc. For more insurance-related queries, check Zocdoc's patient help center.

Verified patient testimonials will further help you evaluate their potential as prospective family doctors. Several doctors allow after-hour and online consultations as well. Book an appointment through our portal once you have zeroed in on the best family physician near you whom you want to consult. 

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Statistical overview of family physicians in Maryland

According to a study by the Robert Graham Center, there were about 4,800 primary care physicians (PCPs) in Maryland as of 2018. Out of them, around 1200 were family doctors. This translates to about 25% of the total PCP workforce in Maryland, whereas the national average is approximately 38%.

According to an America’s Health Rankings analysis of 2024 data from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), approximately 12.4% of adults in Maryland had been diagnosed with diabetes, compared with 12.0% of adults nationwide. Diabetes prevalence also varied geographically within the state, affecting approximately 12.4% of adults living in metropolitan areas and 13.2% of those living in nonmetropolitan areas. 

Sources

Advanced medical clinic[1]

Family care network

American Academy of Family Physicians

WebMD[1]

WebMD[3]

Family Medicine and Community Health

America’s Health Rankings

Advanced medical clinic[2]

Medical University of the Americas

University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Cleveland Clinic

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.