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What is a family practitioner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
John Colclough
introduction image

A family practitioner is a health professional who offers medical care to adults and children. These individuals can be doctors, nurses, or licensed nurse practitioners, and specialize in treating members of a family, from the very young to the elderly. Family practitioners work to diagnose, educate, treat and prevent illnesses in patients, and offer such services as routine medical examinations, diagnostic tests, vaccinations and other non-emergency services.

Family practitioners may work in a clinic, hospital, or mobile setting, and they are usually the first point of contact for patients who suffer from illness or other physical ailments. For patients who have certain conditions or illnesses, family practitioners may conduct diagnostics such as bloodwork, radiographs, or ultrasounds, and depending upon the diagnosis, may refer these patients to specialists for further diagnosis and treatment. These health professionals also provide prescriptions and medications for various health conditions and manage ongoing patient care.

In addition to ensuring the proper monitoring of their patients' health, family practitioners are responsible for keeping detailed health records and ensuring confidentiality. They must have strong communication, analytical and interpersonal skills. Family practitioners have either a doctorate in medicine, a nursing degree or a nurse practitioner degree, and must be licensed in the states where they practice. Most family practitioners in the US make an average of $200,000 per year, and the career field is expected to grow by 10-14% by 2026.

What general advice would you give to a Family Practitioner?

John Colclough

Professor, Marshall University

Be patient and stay informed. Many performers think their career is about the work in the rehearsal hall or in performance-not so, the real work is in the management of your business. Being an authority of WHO, WHAT and WHERE is key. WHO are the players in your market? The directors, actors, casting people, producing organizations, etc...these are who you need to know-your network. WHAT opportunities exist in your market? The theatres, video companies, universities (if you have an MFA you may be able to teach a class or two), Improvisation groups, any opportunity that allows you to grow your brand is worth your attention. And finally, WHERE are the opportunities-knowing your community and having a sense of how each company fits into the fabric of the community. Having a sense of where the company resides both geographically and virtually (web sites) and having a solid knowledge base of details of each company can inform your marketing tactics as well as provide you with specific details unique to each organization. Careers develop over time and keeping expectations realistic over the first year can be challenging. Be practical and methodical in your approach: save money (there's never enough), find a place to live (the best you can afford), find a side hustle (you're going to need money and routine), find out the lay of the land (WHO, WHAT, and WHERE), develop your skill set (take a class and meet colleagues), go to productions, screenings, workshops, document your growth (keep a journal or calendar to track your progress), celebrate your successes and be patient with your stumbles-Hard knocks are the best teachers!
ScoreFamily PractitionerUS Average
Salary
9.7

Avg. Salary $180,399

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate 7%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 19.00%

Black or African American 5.30%

Hispanic or Latino 9.89%

Unknown 4.50%

White 61.16%

Gender

female 59.88%

male 40.12%

Age - 48
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48
Stress Level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.1

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Family Practitioner career paths

Key steps to become a family practitioner

  1. Explore family practitioner education requirements

    Most common family practitioner degrees

    Bachelor's

    41.9 %

    Doctorate

    21.7 %

    Master's

    17.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific family practitioner skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Family Medicine31.63%
    Patients24.80%
    Family Practice11.64%
    Internal Medicine7.94%
    Urgent Care6.64%
  3. Complete relevant family practitioner training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 4-10 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New family practitioners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a family practitioner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real family practitioner resumes.
  4. Research family practitioner duties and responsibilities

    • Manage family health problems, examine patients, perform physical examination.
    • Manage conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, asthma, and GERD.
    • Provide examination, testing, diagnosis, treatment, referral and follow- up care for newborn through geriatrics.
    • Provide residential care and emergency medical treatment to incapacitate elderly patients
  5. Prepare your family practitioner resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your family practitioner resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a family practitioner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Family Practitioner Resume templates

    Build a professional Family Practitioner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Family Practitioner resume.
    Family Practitioner Resume
    Family Practitioner Resume
    Family Practitioner Resume
    Family Practitioner Resume
    Family Practitioner Resume
    Family Practitioner Resume
    Family Practitioner Resume
    Family Practitioner Resume
    Family Practitioner Resume
  6. Apply for family practitioner jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a family practitioner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Family Practitioner Job

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Average family practitioner salary

The average Family Practitioner salary in the United States is $180,399 per year or $87 per hour. Family practitioner salaries range between $90,000 and $359,000 per year.

Average Family Practitioner Salary
$180,399 Yearly
$86.73 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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