Family practice physician vs medical doctor

The differences between family practice physicians and medical doctors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a family practice physician and a medical doctor. Additionally, a family practice physician has an average salary of $205,717, which is higher than the $181,967 average annual salary of a medical doctor.

The top three skills for a family practice physician include patients, family practice and primary care. The most important skills for a medical doctor are patients, patient care, and internal medicine.

Family practice physician vs medical doctor overview

	Family Practice Physician	Medical Doctor
Yearly salary	$205,717	$181,967
Hourly rate	$98.90	$87.48
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	55,016	60,642
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Doctoral Degree, 56%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

What does a family practice physician do?

Family practice physicians provide comprehensive medical care services to each family member. These services may include disease diagnosis and treatment, family planning, and immunizations. They typically have undergone specialty training on the various primary care disciplines, including preventive care, pediatric medicine, and OB care. They are responsible for diagnosing and treating illnesses and medical conditions, providing routine health screenings, and advising patients on lifestyle changes to prevent diseases. Family practice physicians supervise physician assistants, medical assistants, and nurses and coordinate with occupational and rehabilitation therapists on a patient's behalf.

What does a medical doctor do?

A Medical Doctor, also known as a physician, is a healthcare professional who diagnoses and treats patients from injuries and illnesses. As a Medical Doctor, your day-to-day duties will typically include assessing a patient's symptoms, prescribing and administering treatment to patients, and providing follow-up medical care to patients. You will be responsible for interpreting patients' laboratory results and referring them to other providers when needed. Also, you will need to work closely with other healthcare professionals and promote health education.

Family practice physician vs medical doctor salary

Family practice physicians and medical doctors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Family Practice Physician	Medical Doctor
Average salary	$205,717	$181,967
Salary range	Between $136,000 And $310,000	Between $95,000 And $347,000
Highest paying City	Fargo, ND	Brownsville, TX
Highest paying state	North Dakota	New Jersey
Best paying company	Central Ohio Primary Care	Pacific Medical Centers
Best paying industry	Health Care	Transportation

Differences between family practice physician and medical doctor education

There are a few differences between a family practice physician and a medical doctor in terms of educational background:

	Family Practice Physician	Medical Doctor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Doctoral Degree, 56%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Duke University

Family practice physician vs medical doctor demographics

Here are the differences between family practice physicians' and medical doctors' demographics:

	Family Practice Physician	Medical Doctor
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 19.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between family practice physician and medical doctor duties and responsibilities

Family practice physician example responsibilities.

Manage conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, asthma, and GERD.
Provide and perform x-rays and EKG upon doctor's request.
Perform EHR practice assessments and work and documentation flow analysis and redesign.
Review EHR on an as needed basis per missing information or documentation.
Review and help select EMR and transition providers and clinics to the new system.
Float to various departments such as the emergency room, ICU, and geriatric psych.

Medical doctor example responsibilities.

Partner with team to achieve overall well-being patients and contribute to successful department research accreditation.
Perform selection and interpretation of labs including EKG readings, diagnostic imaging, blood work, and urinalyses.
Batch to clearing house, upload files from insurance, data entry answer phones, collect payments over phone, EMR.
Examine patients, order laboratory test and other diagnostic procedures and follow up with acute and chronic diseases
Provide overall quality prenatal health care, gynecological services, patient triage, refer patients with complications, provide patient education service
Perform and interpret ECG test.

Family practice physician vs medical doctor skills

Common family practice physician skills

Patients, 22%
Family Practice, 19%
Primary Care, 14%
Urgent Care, 11%
EMR, 8%
Internal Medicine, 4%

Common medical doctor skills

Patients, 30%
Patient Care, 9%
Internal Medicine, 7%
Primary Care, 7%
Diagnosis, 4%
Medical History, 4%

Family Practice Physician vs. similar jobs

Family Practice Physician related careers

Family Practice Physician related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Family Practice Physician
Family Practice Physician vs Medical Doctor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs