A general practitioner is a family doctor or physician. He provides diagnosis and care for patients in routine cases and usually refers people to specialists when they need specific types of treatment. Family doctors need a medical degree and license and they earned an average of $177,330 per year as of May 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
General practitioners work in private practice in most cases, unlike many other medical specialists who work either in private practice or hospital settings. This means the family doctor is more often self-employed. Some physicians work in multi-doctor clinics or are a part of a network of doctor offices. Their locations are normally small, stand-alone offices or an area in a larger office building. Practitioners normally have a basic staff of receptionists and nurses who assist them.
Family doctors are typically the first point-of-contact for patients when they feel ill or experience a basic injury. Practitioners normally maintain a steady base of patients who seek them out for minor illnesses or injuries. During the initial visit, the family doctor makes a diagnosis of the patient's condition using simple procedures. She then decides how to treat the patient and whether to refer her to a specialist for more involved care.
When the general practitioner is directly involved in a treatment plan, it is normally for more simple cases. Directing patients on self-care and prescribing treatments are two common ways family doctors actively treat patients. He might, for instance, advise a patient suffering from back pain to use a heating pad for a certain amount of time each day. He may also prescribe a simple pain medication to help with relief.
For patients dealing with chronic or ongoing health issues, the general practitioner helps to manage ongoing care. Some patients need regular check-ups so the doctor can monitor their conditions for improvement or decline. Others need reassessment on regular medications. Family doctors typically help with prescription maintenance. When necessary, the practitioner makes requests for blood tests or other lab work to support an initial diagnosis and to reassess the patient's condition.
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