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Medical doctor vs family practice doctor

The differences between medical doctors and family practice 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 medical doctor and a family practice doctor. Additionally, a family practice doctor has an average salary of $187,028, 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 practice doctor are patients, family medicine, and urgent care.

Medical doctor vs family practice doctor overview

Medical DoctorFamily Practice Doctor
Yearly salary$181,967$187,028
Hourly rate$87.48$89.92
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs60,64232,979
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 56%Doctoral Degree, 35%
Average age4848
Years of experience44

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.

What does a family practice doctor do?

Family practice doctors provide lifelong care for a patient and their family. They offer medical attention to all family members, educates patients on disease prevention, provide health maintenance, and ensure mental and emotional needs are met. They manage basic complaints, like colds or flus, and also treat chronic illnesses, like asthma, diabetes, or degenerative conditions. They provide ongoing personalized care. Doctors must be empathetic, professional, and knowledgeable.

Medical doctor vs family practice doctor salary

Medical doctors and family practice doctors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Medical DoctorFamily Practice Doctor
Average salary$181,967$187,028
Salary rangeBetween $95,000 And $347,000Between $101,000 And $345,000
Highest paying CityBrownsville, TX-
Highest paying stateNew Jersey-
Best paying companyPacific Medical Centers-
Best paying industryTransportation-

Differences between medical doctor and family practice doctor education

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

Medical DoctorFamily Practice Doctor
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 56%Doctoral Degree, 35%
Most common majorMedicineMedicine
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Medical doctor vs family practice doctor demographics

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

Medical DoctorFamily Practice Doctor
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 46.9% Female, 53.1%Male, 34.2% Female, 65.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 9.6% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between medical doctor and family practice doctor duties and responsibilities

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.
  • Show more

Family practice doctor example responsibilities.

  • Manage conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, asthma, and GERD.
  • Provide patients with a clinical diagnosis and provide appropriate follow-up evaluation, with referrals to clinical specialists when deem necessary.
  • Set up appointments.Billing and coding for emergency procedures (EKG).
  • Interpret diagnosis results and help in treatment of acute, chronic illnesses.
  • Advise patients about appropriate lifestyle modifications, preventative medicine, and recommend health screenings.
  • Provide overall quality prenatal health care, gynecological services, patient triage, refer patients with complications, provide patient education service
  • Show more

Medical doctor vs family practice doctor skills

Common medical doctor skills
  • Patients, 30%
  • Patient Care, 9%
  • Internal Medicine, 7%
  • Primary Care, 7%
  • Diagnosis, 4%
  • Medical History, 4%
Common family practice doctor skills
  • Patients, 34%
  • Family Medicine, 21%
  • Urgent Care, 8%
  • Patient Care, 7%
  • Internal Medicine, 5%
  • Outpatient Clinic, 3%

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