8 Great Reasons to Become a Family Practice Physician

Family Medicine is a great specialty choice for Physicians wanting a challenging and rewarding career.‌ This specialty possesses many attractive attributes that make it a top choice for any young Physician.

  1. Great Income
    According to Salary.com, the average income for a practicing Family Physician is $203,217(4). There are also Increased opportunities for bonuses especially when accepting positions in rural or medically served areas.
  2. Strong Job Market
    According to the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) by 2032, projected Primary Care Physician shortages are expected to reach between 21,100 to 55,200 physicians(1). This means that the number of future job vacancies for Family Physicians is trending high.

  3. Job Satisfaction
    According to the American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP), 75% of AAFP members reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their careers(3)

  4. Patient Variety
    Unlike many of your specialist colleagues that service a focused range of pathology, you will be treating patients from the cradle-to-grave suffering from a large variety of issues.

  5. You'll Be a Medical Jack-of all Trades
    The practice of Family Medicine requires a Physician with a comprehensive medical knowledge base willing to treat a diverse patient population. This aspect of practice makes these Physicians unique in that as time passes, they stay on top of general medical knowledge to a greater degree than their specialized colleagues.

  6. Great Loan Repayment Programs
    There are more opportunities for student loan repayment for Family Practice Physicians. Rural medical groups, as well as state and federal programs frequently offer attractive repayment benefits to FP Physicians willing to work in medically underserved areas. One such program is the National Health Service Corp, where service time in a medically underserved area is given in exchange for loan repayment.

  7. Deeper Patient Relationships
    Family Physicians are the gate-keepers of medicine. Patients come to FP's with all manner of issues throughout their lifespan, often bringing their family members for treatment. This provides Physicians with a unique opportunity to establish long-lasting and deep relationships with patients and their families.

  8. You'll Have a Shared Passion
    According to the AAMC, 2018 was the best year yet for Residents matching to Family Medicine programs. Over 3,500 new Physician trainees were added to the existing community of Family Medicine Practitioners(2). This reflects a continued climb in interest over the last 9 years in young Physicians wanting to work in Family Medicine.