Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Family Medicine Physician
What family medicine physicians actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
See a newborn for a first checkup. From there, the day usually includes provide checkups and preventive care, diagnose and treat common illnesses, and manage chronic diseases. Most work weekday clinic hours with some evening, weekend or call responsibilities.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a family medicine physician working full time.
- See a newborn for a first checkup.
- Manage a patient’s diabetes.
- Treat a sinus infection.
- Remove a skin lesion.
- Do a Medicare wellness visit.
- Discuss depression treatment.
- Review labs and messages.
Where family medicine physicians work
Family physicians work in clinics, community health centers, hospitals and rural practices.
Hours and schedule
Most work weekday clinic hours with some evening, weekend or call responsibilities.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Provide checkups and preventive care
- Diagnose and treat common illnesses
- Manage chronic diseases
- Perform minor procedures
- Order and interpret tests
- Coordinate specialist care
- Counsel on healthy habits
Tools you’ll use every day
- Electronic health records
- Exam equipment
- Point-of-care tests
- Procedure kits
- Telehealth
- Clinical guidelines
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Long-term patient relationships
- Variety of conditions
- High demand
- Good work-life balance options
What’s hard
- Lower pay than specialists
- Heavy paperwork
- Busy schedules
- Insurance pressures
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I want long-term patient relationships
- I like variety
- I enjoy prevention
- I want to serve communities
- I’m a good listener
- I can commit to medical training
Not sure? Take the free Family Medicine Physician fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Follow infection control
- Check allergies before prescribing
- Use safe opioid prescribing
- Follow up on abnormal results