By Stacey Massey


There are a number of things on family medicine spring hill fl residents should know about the speciality if they wish to take up careers in this area. This field was until recently known as family practice. It is concerned with providing services to persons of all ages and the specialist that does this is known as a family physician. A lot of emphasis is laid on prevention of diseases by promoting healthy lifestyles.

Family physicians are capable of treating both acute and chronic medical conditions due to their extensive training. They are also central to the success of preventive healthcare. Some examples of preventive care that these specialists facilitate include screening programmes, personalised counselling, immunisations, routine check-ups and personalised counselling. On many occasions, they have to work closely with subspecialists in different fields.

Specialists who want to work in the United States must have an MD or DO degree. In addition, they must have undergone 3 years of residency in the speciality. The board usually gives an exam at the end of the residency the result of which must be provided to the employer hospital. Continuous medical education is required for one to remain registered.

In advancing their careers, there are a number of fellowships that they may enrol in. The common ones include adolescent medicine, hospice and palliative care, sports medical practice and geriatrics. Completion of these fellowships is acknowledged through issuance of Certificates of Added Qualifications, CAQ. This is done by the Board of Family Medicine within the United States. Recent times have seen the creation of international fellowships.

It has been observed over the years that interest in this field has been reducing. There are many explanations as to why this is the case. One of the reasons is that specialists in this area are not paid as well as their counterparts in other fields. Most medical students are therefore opting for other options. The other reason is the fact that the working environment, particularly in the United States, is becoming more difficult. Lack of prestige in this speciality may also contribute.

The Current practice is slightly variable from one country to another and from region to the next. In the United States, the physicians may either opt to work alone or to be part of small-group practices or hospital employees. The main advantage that is enjoyed is the fact that the field is very wide with very many career options that one may consider. These include urgent care, public health, research and sports medicine among others.

In India, things are a bit different. The speciality is less than 20 years old because it was recognised as a separate entity from general practice in the late 1990s. A practitioner must hold a mediacal degree, MBBS and must also undergo post graduate training in family medicine. The government continues to encourage more specialists to come up due to their important role.

An important thing to regarding family medicine spring hill fl residents should have in mind is that it has lots of potential. There are many subspecialties that one may choose from. More importantly, one is exposed to a wide range of conditions that make working as a doctor interesting.




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