What is family medicine, and who are family physicians?
Family medicine is a specialty that offers comprehensive medical treatment to individuals and families. It combines clinical, biological, and behavioral sciences. Family medicine includes caring for people of all genders, ages, organ systems, and disease entities.
Family physicians are specialists who focus on family medicine. They possess skills, distinct attitudes, and knowledge. These healthcare professionals are ideally suited to function as each patient's advocate in all health-related concerns, including the appropriate use of health services, consultants, and community resources, because of their experience and relationships with the family. They also use technology and data to coordinate services and enhance care.
Most importantly, they serve as patients' first contact for health concerns.
What type of education and training do family physicians have?
Family physicians have a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) or a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree. They finish their undergraduate studies and enroll in a four-year medical school program. During medical school, they spend nearly 9,000 hours on clinical studies, lectures, labs, and direct patient care. In addition, they pass a two-part exam termed the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the USA (COMLEX-USA).
They receive a D.O. or M.D. degree after completing a core clerkship or periods of clinical instruction, passing the classes and two exams. Following that, they begin three years of clinical training in a residency program accredited by ACGME—Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. During the first year of residency (also known as the internship year), they take the final "step" of the USMLE or COMLEX-USA (step three exam). Family physicians complete rotations in pediatrics, obstetrics, emergency medicine, general surgery, and inpatient hospital care during residency.
They take the American Academy of Family Physicians (ABFM) or the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians (AOBFP) certification exam after completing their training and meeting all requirements. Then, they apply for state licensure to become a board-certified family physician. Some family physicians opt to do a fellowship for more concentrated training as a post-residency option.
Subspecialties of family medicine
While family medicine is not about one organ or a particular disease, its subspecialties focus on specific areas of practice. A family doctor may have obtained certification in one or more of the subspecialties of family medicine.
Some subspecialties require additional training and board evaluation:
- Sports medicine – A doctor who chooses this subspecialty trains in dealing with sports and exercise injuries. Their duties include preventing, diagnosing, and treating associated injuries. They also learn to deal with illnesses and conditions that might impact a sports person's health and physical performance.
- Geriatric medicine – Doctors pursue in-depth learning about aging and acquire unique skills in this specialty. They learn to diagnose illnesses in the aged, recommend appropriate therapies, suggest preventive measures, and facilitate rehabilitation. Geriatric specialists commonly work in nursing homes and hospitals and may also see patients in their offices or at the patient's homes.
- Palliative and hospice medicine – In this subspecialty, doctors learn to relieve and prevent the suffering of patients who have life-limiting illnesses. Their training involves learning to optimize the patient's quality of life. Practitioners learn to address the patient's physical, psychological, and spiritual requirements.
- Pain medicine – Here, physicians gain the necessary training and experience to help people with chronic or acute pain, including cancer-related pain. These specialists work in hospital settings and outpatient facilities and often coordinate with other doctors.
- Adolescent medicine – This subspecialty relates to the unique healthcare needs of adolescents. Their training encompasses learning about this age group's psychological, physical, and social aspects.
- Sleep medicine – A practitioner specializing in sleep medicine acquires expertise in diagnosing and managing issues that disturb sleep. They get training in managing a sleep laboratory and familiarize themselves with all the research on the subject. They must master analyzing and interpreting polysomnography (sleep study).
How do family doctors provide mental and behavioral health care?
Checking mental health is vital in family medicine. It's become even more crucial lately because it affects how we treat long-term health issues. Screening helps doctors spot mental health problems early and find ways to help patients stay mentally well. It's essential for adults, kids, and teenagers, and moms with newborns.
Family doctors know the latest advice on screening for anxiety, depression, and thoughts of suicide in both adults and kids. They also know how to ask about mental health in a way that respects different cultures. The AAFP has a lot of good advice on mental health for family doctors.
- Behavioral health integration: Many Americans can't get the mental health care they need. Many things make it hard to access these services, like not having insurance, insufficient mental health professionals, or insufficient treatments. Kids and teenagers especially might struggle to get the help they need. Family doctors can help by making mental health care part of regular doctor visits. It means patients can get help for their mental health where they already go for other health issues. This helps doctors support the mental health of their patients at every age. It also makes sure patients get support for their mental health as they get older.
- Trauma-informed care: Many people in the U.S. have experienced something traumatic like abuse, violence, or natural disasters. Trauma can affect a person's health for a long time. Doctors are learning how to care for patients who have experienced trauma. They want to help these patients heal and stay healthy. Trauma-informed care means understanding how trauma affects people and changing how we care for them. Doctors need to create a safe and respectful environment for patients who have experienced trauma. The AAFP thinks doctors should learn about trauma-informed care and use it in their practice.
What are the reasons to visit a family physician?
Regular visits to the family physician can help keep you healthy. You should see a family physician near you for routine checkups such as newborn and general child care. You should consult family physicians for chronic disease management like high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, high cholesterol, heart disease, skin problems, arthritis, and respiratory infections (asthma, colds, bronchitis, etc.).
When you need to see a specialist for any serious concern, you should see a family doctor first. They can recommend a skilled specialist according to the issue you are facing. They can, however, treat some of the conditions without needing a specialist. So, you can see them if you or your family member has simple fractures, colds, flu, ear infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, seasonal allergies, or stomach viruses.
What to expect at your family physician appointment?
When you visit a family doctor, you can expect screenings, examinations, or referrals, depending on your reason for visiting. They may examine vital signs (breathing rate, blood pressure, heartbeat, and body temperature). They may also request a routine blood test to screen for diabetes or high cholesterol. In addition, you can expect a skin, neck, head, and abdomen exam for problems with the head, neck, skin, or abdomen.
A family physician can conduct osteoporosis (bone disease) tests, sexual health examinations, and breast exams for women. They may also refer female patients for mammography (x-ray exam of the breast). The doctor might conduct tests for men's health, such as referrals for colon exams, prostate exams, and abdominal aortic aneurysm screening (a test to check for a bulge or protrusion in the wall of the aorta).
The family physician may also conduct infant and child screenings to assess growth. They also administer flu vaccines and immunizations. They may perform minor surgeries such as circumcision (using surgery to remove tissue covering the head of the penis) and vasectomy (surgery to prevent pregnancy).
Finding the best family physician near you in Reno
People of all ages must receive the proper screening and preventive treatments. A family physician can be the best option for most medical issues. However, finding an experienced family physician can be difficult. Zocdoc's mission is to connect patients with the most qualified healthcare professionals, so it has developed a well-researched directory of the best doctors around you.
You can search for a family physician on Zocdoc using the term “family doctor” based on your symptoms, preferred location, date, and insurance plan. You can also filter your search for providers based on their language, gender, hospital affiliations, and whether or not they treat children. We also provide detailed information about each provider, such as credentials, associations, awards, accreditations, experience, areas of expertise, licenses, etc. You can find the best family physician in your area using these details.
Additionally, Zocdoc regularly gathers and updates patients' verified ratings and reviews. Reading these reviews helps you make an informed decision while looking for a top-rated family physician in Reno. You may set up online appointments with Zocdoc as well. Zocdoc enables you to schedule appointments with family physicians who accept your insurance plan. Use Zocdoc's insurance checker if you need clarification on your insurance plan.
Booking appointments with family physicians near you through Zocdoc is easy, secure, and 100% free!
Family medicine physicians statistics for Reno, Nevada
Patients in Nevada can continue to receive regular care from family medicine doctors who treat various medical problems. The data shared by the Association of American Medical Colleges shows that in 2018, around 824 family medicine physicians were active in Nevada, out of which about 292 (35.4%) were female family medicine physicians and 273 (33.2%) were family medicine physicians of age 60 and above. According to the Physician Workforce in Nevada Chartbook - January 2020 by Nevada Health Workforce Research Center, 2019, around 920 licensed family medicine physicians were present in Nevada.
The Physician Workforce in Nevada 2018 by the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine reports that in 2015, there were around 681 licensed family medicine physicians. Of these, approximately 422 were in southern Nevada, 244 in northwestern Nevada, and 15 in northeastern Nevada.
Additionally, nearly 23.6 licensed family medicine physicians per 100,000 population of Nevada were present in 2015. In 2015, around 21 licensed family medicine physician subspecialties were present in Nevada, of which 11 were in southern Nevada and 10 in northwestern Nevada. In addition, nearly 0.7 licensed family medicine physician subspecialties per 100,000 population of Nevada were present in 2015.
Sources
American Academy of Family Physicians[1]
American Academy of Family Physicians[2]
American Academy of Family Physicians[3]
American Academy of Family Physicians[4]
Verywell Health
WebMD[1]
WebMD[2]
Mayo Clinic[1]
Mayo Clinic[2]
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
Association of American Medical Colleges
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine[1]
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine[2]
Medical University of the Americas
St. George’s University
