Family Physician Job Description
Family physician job profile and description
The tradition of family physicians is an age old practice. A family physician is the first person contacted in times of a health crisis in the house. Any further action like consulting other specialists happens only on the recommendation of a family physician. A family physician provides comprehensive health care for the family. The job of a family physician is a very responsible one as families implicitly trust the family physician and follow his medical guidance in all matters of health and illness.
Family physician duties and responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities of a family physician are listed below.
- General checkup of all the members of the family
- Referrals to other specialists in times of need
- Diagnosis of a wide range of physical and psychological problems
- Providing vaccinations
- Counseling family members on preventive care
- Counseling the members of the family to bring changes in lifestyle such as diet and fitness in order to improve the general health of the family
- Encouraging the members of the family to work together to improve the morale of the family
- Providing emotional support in times of medical emergencies
- Must make home visits even at odd hours, if need be
Family physician skills and specifications
Family doctors are the people who are aware of a lot of personal matters of a family. They require special skills in order to manage the health needs of the whole family. The skills that they require are listed below.
- Broad awareness regarding a range of medical conditions and illnesses affecting people of different ages and sexes
- Sensitivity and compassion to deal with delicate health needs of the family
- Upholding the trust of the family by maintaining strict confidentiality
- Interest in serving people
- Precise and gentle communication skills
- Ability to motivate the family members to lead a better lifestyle
- Ability to put the members of the family at ease in his presence
- A pleasing and approachable personality
- Sound decision making abilities
Family physician education and qualifications
- A basic medical school degree followed by internship
- A doctor of osteopathic (D.O) degree or a doctor of medicine (M.D) degree
Family physician salary
The mean salary of a family physician in Unites States is $186,000 per annum.