Work Environment
Family and General Practitioners are found in may different work environments such as hospitals, clinics, working along side other practitioners and physicians, and in their own practices. They are generally in an office setting, on their feet and sitting behind a desk.
Employment Opportunities
Economists predict that jobs for doctors, including Family and General Practitioner, will expand faster than the average for all careers through 2016. The growing and aging population is needing more medical services as time goes on. Some modifications in health care coverage and technology could possibly limit some demand for doctors. Low income areas will provide the most Family and General Practitioner opportunities because of the low competition for jobs in this location.
How much does a Family and General Practitioner make - Family and General Practitioner Salary and Wages
The Family and General Practitioner salary ranges vary based on the experience they have in the field. Doctors in the first four years of practice will see a Family and General Practitioner salary range around $100,000 to $140,000. Those between five and twenty years of practice will see a Family and General Practitioner salary range between $120,000 and $160,000. Those with 20+ years of experience can see salaries of $120,000 all the way up to $180,000 a year. Those in private practice typically make more than those that work at the hospital, but the salary is relatively the same across the board.
Bonuses are seen mostly in the 5-9 year period of work, although there are still significant ones to be had throughout the career. In the first year alone, there are over $2,000 worth of bonuses, and in the 5-9 year range, there is a hefty $16,000 average, one of the biggest in the industry. After 20 years, the bonuses fall to around $10,000 a year, which is still a large amount.
How to become a Family and General Practitioner
Educational and Training
A bachelor’s Family and General Practitioner degree is the minimum formal education required for this career. However, graduate school may also be required in certain situations. They may be required to have a master’s degree, and some Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). Common Family and General Practitioner courses in college include biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, mathematics, and many other basic science courses.
Other Qualifications and Skills
All Family and General Practitioners must hold a license to practice medicine in the United States. The only Family and General Practitioner qualification is that the physician be enrolled in or have completed a year of training, which is commonly called a rotating internship. The licensed medical practitioners who do not complete three to ten years of residency are still legally allowed to practice medicine in the state they are licensed. A medical practitioner who specializes in “family medicine” must complete a residency in family medicine, and must be eligible for board certification, which is required by many hospitals and health plans. Three hundred hours of medical education within the prior six years of residency is also required to be eligible to sit for the board certification exam for Family and General Practitioner qualifications.
Additional Family and General Practitioner skills include the ability to be self motivated, be compassionate, have good judgment, and a be decision maker. They must enjoy learning to help their patients as learning is a constant process.
You can find information concerning online Family and General Practitioner degrees and jump start your Family and General Practitioner career by checking out the online colleges and degrees below.
Family and General Practitioner Resources
AAFP - American Academy of Family Physicians