Miles 1

Jesse Miles
Career Research Paper Outline
Job Title: Family Physician
I.

Introduction
A. Trained in all areas of medicine
B. Treat and prevent illnesses

II.
A.
B.
C.
D.

History
Self-employed or practice
Annual income
Demand
First consultant for non-emergencies

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.

Requirements
11-13 years of school
Undergrad education
Residency program
Medical school
Fellowship
Working Conditions

III.

IV.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Description
Prevent
Treat
Whole patient
Coordinate care w/ other professionals
provide information and techniques

V. Outlook
A. Good for me
B. High demand
C. Excellent outlook
VI.
A.
B.
C.
D.

Conclusion
Necessity to society
Demand for family physicians
Outlook
My interest

Miles 2

Jesse Miles
English 12
6th Period
Haslam
11/18/14
Career Research Paper
Family Physician
Most doctors are specialized in one body part or one subject like a podiatrist who only works
with feet or a physical trainer who only works with sport-related injuries. Family physicians on the
other hand are trained for the entire body. They tend to diagnose and treat illnesses or injuries which
occur in the general population. (AAFP) They are trained in all areas of medicine. Their main job,
like other doctors, is to diagnose and treat a patients issues. Except a family physician diagnoses and
treats a full range of problems that people would typically bring to their doctors who would usually
refer the patient to another professional. Regardless of the stated reason for the patients visit, a
family physician will ask many questions in order to assess the patients overall health. They may
create a genogram to get all the biological, social, emotional, and historical factors contributing to the
patients condition. Then the family physician can come to a specific diagnosis, even when the
patients symptoms are common or uncommon. Because the family physician is the first point of
contact for most people entering the healthcare system, they must be able to quickly assess physical
data. It also helps to see a physician frequently too. Individuals who regularly visit a family
physician are more likely to receive preventive services, better management of chronic illnesses and
decreased chance of premature death. (ABFM) There is a lot of work in becoming a family
physician, but it has its perks. In 1969, the American Board of Family Practice was born. There has

Miles 3

been illness and injury for as long as weve existed so there has always been a need for medical
treatment. When someone has a non-emergency health concern, they will often consult a family
physician first before their doctor. Patients visit their family physician when they have a new
symptom, need care for a chronic condition, get an injury or are seeking preventive care. Many
family physicians can also provide prenatal care and deliver babies, especially in rural areas. Wages
for physicians and surgeons are among the highest of all occupations. The salary for family
physicians recently jumped by $7,000 between 2011 and 2012, from $163,000 to $170,000.(BLS,
Occupational Handbook) This dramatic increase in annual salary was due to the, already high and,
rising demand for family physicians. The AAFP says, "The demand for family physicians continues
to outstrip demand for other physician specialties and subspecialties, making family physicians the
most sought-after physician group in terms of recruitment and retention. (AAFP) Family physicians
can earn just as much practicing in rural areas, where their income also goes further because of the
low cost of living. They are also geographically and financially more accessible to disadvantaged
populations that lack access to quality health care than other primary care physicians, which helps to
reduce health disparities. Salaries for family physicians are expected to rise as much as 25% as
practitioners use new care models that reduce expenses and improve efficiency. Because of the high
demand for primary care doctors in nearly every part of the country, AAFP reports that family
medicine was the highest recruited specialty in 2006 and 2007.
Family physicians, usually, are self-employed or work at a practice. Being a family physician
is not an easy job by any means. Which alludes to the fact that there is very much training and
learning involved in becoming one.(ABFM) For example, just to do basic surgery, 5 years of training
is required. Some of the requirements include: 11-13 years of school, undergrad education, residency
programs, medical school, and fellowship.(ABFM) These are just some of the things you need to do
to be on the right path to become a family physician. It is indeed a lot of schooling and work, but

Miles 4

based on the salary and working conditions, I believe that its worth it. As for conditions, many
physicians work in private offices or clinics, often with administrative and healthcare personnel.
Although most family physicians see patients in a medical office, they also provide care in hospitals,
nursing homes, community health centers, urgent care centers, emergency departments, and schools.
Even though office-based practices are common, the specialty of family medicine uniquely prepares
physicians to work in the rural, wilderness, and international situations. Although the work
environment seems nice the hours are long and busy. Medical Economics magazine found, on
average, that family physicians spend 50-55 hours a week caring for patients and managing their
practice. They also spend more time on patient related activities than any other specialty.
A physician has many responsibilities and jobs throughout their day. Their main 3 jobs are to
prevent, diagnose, and treat injuries and illnesses.(BLS, Occupational Handbook) Some people tend
to think that physicians arent any different from any other doctor, but they are. Most doctors are
specialized in one field or area of the body. As to where a physician is referred to as a, whole
patient, specialist, meaning that they know all about your entire body and not only specializing in
one area.(ABFM) It also means that they dont just heal or treat the patient they also care for mental
and emotional needs like post traumatic stress disorder for example. If a patient goes through a very
rough time or is very mentally torn because of an injury, such as an athlete, then the family physician
will help with those needs as well as the injury itself. Me personally; I would never cry because of an
injury. It might sound like bragging or pretending to be tough, but the only thing that would hurt me
if I was injured is the thought of not being able to play and be with my team. That is what the family
physician would help with as well as my injury. (Primary Care Sports Medicine) This, I think, is the
reason why people often see a family physician before the doctor so they know exactly what they
need to look at and not waste time with doctors who are only focused on one subject. A different
example of a physicians daily responsibility is to prescribe or administer treatment, therapy,

Miles 5

medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care. They also direct and coordinate
activities of the nurses, students, assistants, specialists, therapists, and other medical staff. Sometimes
they train residents, medical students, and other healthcare personnel. Another one of their many jobs
is to coordinate care with other professionals. This means that if the patient needs further treatment or
help, then the physician needs to contact another healthcare professional to help and take it from
there so the patient is taken care of appropriately. An important job isnt just healing injuries because
getting rid of an injury doesnt end with just treating it. Yes, the treatment will make it better, but
until you learn a better, safer, and more effective technique for whatever body part is injured, the
injury will only keep reoccurring. (BLS) When you heal an injury your next step should be to correct
faulty mechanics of your body. If you pull a muscle then it is usually because of poor form. When
you break a bone it is usually because your technique during a certain movement is improper.
The outlook for this job is very excellent. The salary is through the roof, and there is a very
high demand. Based off my personal experience with the medical field, I believe that I would enjoy
this occupation very much. I dont know that I could ever get tired of this job because you are
constantly meeting and talking to new people. Family physicians strive to create and maintain longterm relationships with their patients.(Primary Care sports Medicine) The fact that you can make
relationships that last a lifetime, and always be interacting with other people makes this job even
more appealing to me. Ever since I took the concurrent enrollment sports medicine class last year, I
have always had a sort of fascination with the medical field and medical careers. We did a project
where you had to research a medical profession and present it to the class and when I saw the
poster/presentation for a family physician I immediately knew I was very interested in that career.
And another great thing about having a job in the medical field is being able to treat and diagnose
yourself. You know how to heal yourself and you know what is wrong with your body whenever an
injury or illness happens. ( Primary Care Sports Medicine) There are many perks and advantages of

Miles 6

being a family physician, like the huge and growing salary, the priceless relationships you make with
all of your patients from day to day, and even just the satisfaction that you help thousands of people
live their lives healthier, cleaner, and just better in general. Yes it has its disadvantages as well, like
all the years of schooling and all of the work involved but, overall, I believe the advantages outweigh
the disadvantages 100 to 1. To me, this is the perfect job and it fits me pretty much entirely.

Miles 7

Works Cited
"Primary Care Sports Medicine" ExploreHEALTHcareers.org,
American Dental Education Association, November 17, 2014
"Sports Medicine" AAFP.org, Injury Treatment and
Prevention, American Academy of Family Physicians, 2013
"Sports Medicine" TheABFM.org, Certification Requirements,
American Board of Family Medicine, June 2013
"Physicians and Surgeons" bls.gov, Occupational Outlook
Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wed, January 8, 2014