Family Practice






Family practice is a medical specialty in which general medical care, counseling, and problem solving is provided to an individual or family, without regard to age or as to whether the patient is male or female. Family practice is a broad area and ranges from work with infants to caring for people who are dying.

WHAT AREAS OF HEALTH CARE DOES FAMILY PRACTICE COVER?

Family practice involves knowledge of many health care areas such as internal medicine (the study of organs inside the body and diseases of these organs), pediatrics (the study of the care and development of children), psychiatry (the study and treatment of emotional, mental, and behavioral disorders), and gynecology. Gynecology is the study of the health care of women, including diseases and normal physical care of the female reproductive system. In addition, family practice usually involves limited amounts of surgery and work in obstetrics. Obstetrics is the science that deals with the care of women and their fetuses (developing babies) during pregnancy and childbirth, and during the events that come before and soon after birth.
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAMILY PRACTICE AND GENERAL PRACTICE?

Family practice has replaced general practice because the training in family practice is broader. In addition, training opportunities in general practice after graduation from medical school became limited and there was no way to become board certified in general practice, unlike in family practice. Board certified means that one has been recognized by a board of peers (other doctors in one's area of study) that he/she has met the rigorous standards necessary to practice in a specific field of study.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAMILY PRACTICE ANDINTERNAL MEDICINE?

Internal medicine deals with the health care needs of adults whereas family practice deals with the health care needs of adults and children. In this context, adults refer to people that are age 18 or above.

WHAT IS SOMEONE CALLED WHO SPECIALIZES IN FAMILY PRACTICE ?

Someone who specializes in family practice is known as a family practitioner. Family practitioner is sometimes abbreviated as FP. Some people still refer to a family practitioner as a GP (general practitioner) even though the two are different as described above.

WHAT ELSE IS FAMILY PRACTICE CALLED?

Family practice is also known as family medicine.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM FAMILY PRACTICE ?

Family practice comes from the Latin word "familia" meaning "household," and the Greek word "praktikos" meaning "practice." Put the two words together and you have "family practice."