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The differences between medical doctors and family 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 medical doctor and a family physician. Additionally, a family physician has an average salary of $215,471, which is higher than the $181,967 average annual salary of a medical doctor.
The top three skills for a medical doctor include patients, patient care and internal medicine. The most important skills for a family physician are patients, family medicine, and primary care.
| Medical Doctor | Family Physician | |
| Yearly salary | $181,967 | $215,471 |
| Hourly rate | $87.48 | $103.59 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 60,642 | 47,352 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 56% | Doctoral Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A family physician specializes in providing health care services to an entire family, regardless of age, health condition, or gender. Aside from conducting regular check-ups and consultations, they serve as a family's primary contact when health problems occur. Among their responsibilities include maintaining a family's health records, helping families navigate through the healthcare system, coordinating with insurance companies, and referring them to other specialists when necessary. Moreover, a family physician builds positive relationships with clients, helping them feel comfortable every step of the way.
Medical doctors and family physicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Doctor | Family Physician | |
| Average salary | $181,967 | $215,471 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $347,000 | Between $135,000 And $342,000 |
| Highest paying City | Brownsville, TX | Mount Vernon, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Pacific Medical Centers | Oregon Medical Group |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical doctor and a family physician in terms of educational background:
| Medical Doctor | Family Physician | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 56% | Doctoral Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Medicine | Medicine |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Virginia |
Here are the differences between medical doctors' and family physicians' demographics:
| Medical Doctor | Family Physician | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1% | Male, 42.2% Female, 57.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |