Geriatric physician vs family practice physician

The differences between geriatric physicians and family practice physicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a geriatric physician and a family practice physician. Additionally, a geriatric physician has an average salary of $210,898, which is higher than the $205,717 average annual salary of a family practice physician.

The top three skills for a geriatric physician include patient care, EMR and nursing home. The most important skills for a family practice physician are patients, family practice, and primary care.

Geriatric physician vs family practice physician overview

	Geriatric Physician	Family Practice Physician
Yearly salary	$210,898	$205,717
Hourly rate	$101.39	$98.90
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	38,498	55,016
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

What does a geriatric physician do?

A geriatric physician is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disease ailments in elderly patients. To be precise, they are a primary care doctor specially trained in the aging process. They may be required to plan the successful transfers of patients from the hospital, educate patients on how they can stay active and healthy, and ensure patients are up to date with necessary health tips.

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.

Geriatric physician vs family practice physician salary

Geriatric physicians and family practice physicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Geriatric Physician	Family Practice Physician
Average salary	$210,898	$205,717
Salary range	Between $104,000 And $423,000	Between $136,000 And $310,000
Highest paying City	Anderson, SC	Fargo, ND
Highest paying state	North Dakota	North Dakota
Best paying company	Freeman Health System	Central Ohio Primary Care
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between geriatric physician and family practice physician education

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

	Geriatric Physician	Family Practice Physician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Pennsylvania

Geriatric physician vs family practice physician demographics

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

	Geriatric Physician	Family Practice Physician
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 21.1% Female, 78.9%	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 20.4% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	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%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between geriatric physician and family practice physician duties and responsibilities

Geriatric physician example responsibilities.

Initiate new treatment protocols for managing complex patients with co-morbid psychiatric and medical illnesses.
Provide overall quality prenatal health care, gynecological services, patient triage, refer patients with complications, provide patient education service
Assist physician with minor office surgeries and other various procedures ECG's and immunizations.

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.

Geriatric physician vs family practice physician skills

Common geriatric physician skills

Patient Care, 30%
EMR, 28%
Nursing Home, 22%
Medical Care, 8%
Epic, 8%
Private Practice, 2%

Common family practice physician skills

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

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Geriatric Physician
Geriatric Physician vs Family Practice Physician

Updated January 8, 2025

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