Information on Becoming a Family & General Practitioner

Family and general practitioners have years of education and training.

Family and general practitioners provide primary health care for people of all ages. They diagnose and treat simple illnesses and injuries and refer people with more serious problems to specialists as needed.

Undergraduate Degree

Potential family and general practitioners earn an undergraduate degree in preparation for medical school. Undergraduate course work usually focuses heavily on the sciences.

Medical School

Future family and general practitioners attend four years of medical school. In medical school, they attend classes, participate in labs and complete clinical rotations, during which they get hands-on experience caring for patients under the supervision of experienced physicians.

Residency

Family and general practitioners complete a three-year residency after graduation from medical school. During this period of paid training, they care for patients under the supervision of experienced physicians and take on greater amounts of responsibility for patient care.

Licensure

Family and general practitioners must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination in order to become licensed to practice medicine in the U.S. Some family practitioners go on to become board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Physicians and Surgeons
• JABFM: Length and Content of Family Practice Residency Training
• American Board of Family Medicine