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Family Medicine

Formerly called "family practice," family medicine was recognized in 1969 as the twentieth medical specialty and residencies were developed in response to public need for well-trained generalist physicians. The official definition is: "family medicine is the medical specialty which provides continuing, comprehensive health care for the individual and family. It is a specialty in breadth that integrates the biological, clinical and behavioral sciences. The scope of family medicine encompasses all ages, both sexes, each organ system and every disease entity."

Today's family physician is trained to provide primary health care, coordinate the care of all family members with other specialized physicians and community services, teach preventive medicine to patients, and be the patient.s advocate in all aspects of health care delivery. Primarily, the family physician differs from the "general practice" physician not only in formal residency training but also in the focus of delivering health care in the context of family rather than the patient alone.

• Number of physicians in specialty - Large, more than 100,000
• Competitiveness of Residency - Low to medium, depending on location
• Length and uniqueness of training - Three years with a small number of four year programs. The curriculum includes the study of adult medicine, surgery, child health, maternal and women's health, behavioral science, gerontology, community medicine, preventive care and health promotion, diagnostic imaging, and practice management. Continuity of family care is stressed and each resident has his or her own panel of patients for their entire years of training.
• Sub-specialty training - Certificates of Added Qualifications are awarded after one year fellowships in geriatrics, sports medicine, adolescent medicine, hospice and palliative care, and sleep medicine. Fellowships also available in integrative medicine, women's health, research, faculty development, and health policy after completion of a family medicine residency.

Values & Personality Traits of Physicians in Family Medicine

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