Emergency Medicine Physicians
Make immediate medical decisions and act to prevent death or further disability.
Post-doctoral training
Healthcare Practitioners & Technical
Family Medicine Physicians
Also called: Family Physician, Family Practice Physician (FP Physician), Medical Doctor (MD), Physician
- Typical education
- Doctoral degree
- 59% of workers surveyed
- Preparation needed
- Extensive Preparation Needed
- Job Zone 5 of 5
- Programs in this directory
- 53
- that lead to this career
What family medicine physicians do
Diagnose, treat, and provide preventive care to individuals and families across the lifespan. May refer patients to specialists when needed for further diagnosis or treatment.
Typical tasks
- 1Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
- 2Order, perform, and interpret tests and analyze records, reports, and examination information to diagnose patients' condition.
- 3Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, or examination results.
- 4Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
- 5Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
- 6Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
- 7Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, students, assistants, specialists, therapists, and other medical staff.
- 8Refer patients to medical specialists or other practitioners when necessary.
- 9Coordinate work with nurses, social workers, rehabilitation therapists, pharmacists, psychologists, and other health care providers.
- 10Plan, implement, or administer health programs or standards in hospitals, businesses, or communities for prevention or treatment of injury or illness.
Key skills
- Critical Thinking4.4/5
- Active Listening4.2/5
- Reading Comprehension4.2/5
- Speaking4.1/5
- Writing4.1/5
- Active Learning4.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0/5
Importance rated by workers in this career (1–5).
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry5.0/5
- English Language4.7/5
- Therapy and Counseling4.6/5
- Psychology4.5/5
- Biology4.5/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.7/5
Importance rated by workers in this career (1–5).
Technology used
- Epic Systems
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
How to become one
- Education
- The most common level among workers surveyed is a doctoral degree (59%). Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Where to study
Subjects that prepare for this career:
| Program | Institution | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | University of Alabama at Birmingham United States |
Professional Degree |
| Medicine | University of South Alabama United States |
Doctoral Degree |
| Medicine | University of South Alabama United States |
Professional Degree |
| Medicine | Arizona State University Campus Immersion United States |
Bachelor's Degree |
| Medicine | University of Arizona United States |
Professional Degree |
| Medicine | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences United States |
Professional Degree |
| Medicine | University of California-Davis United States |
Professional Degree |
| Medicine | University of California-Irvine United States |
Professional Degree |
| Medicine | University of California-Los Angeles United States |
Professional Degree |
| Medicine | University of California-Riverside United States |
Doctoral Degree |
| Medicine | University of California-Riverside United States |
Professional Degree |
| Medicine | University of California-San Diego United States |
Doctoral Degree |
Showing 12 of 53 matching programs.
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