Choosing the Right Family Physician Environment The job of family physician is a unique position as the family doctor is the one most individuals will see most often in their lifetimes. For the doctors that means the opportunity to work with entire families; often multiple generations of a family as well. At the same time the commitment to establishing and running your own practice for an entire career can be very demanding on several different levels. For doctors who like family practice but aren't interested in setting up one of their own, there are other options for family physician jobs. The key to finding the right one is to assess your own circumstances and decide what it is you want out of life. If practicing family medicine is the center of your life, your own private practice might be the way to go. If you're involved in other things you want to make sure you always have time for, perhaps being employed by a doctors group, a hospital, or a public clinic is a better option. If flexibility and travel are high priorities you also have the opportunity for locum family physician jobs. Your Own Practice For the longest time setting up a private practice has been the standard in the United States. Fifty years ago, how many medical students dreamed of finishing a residency and returning to their hometown to open a family practice? But the healthcare landscape has changed dramatically since then. The days of the individual family practice are indeed numbered as group practices associated with hospitals are becoming the norm. That said, you still can open your own private practice if that is your ambition. Keep in mind that it requires a significant financial investment on your part as well as the ability to cope with the business aspects of medicine. The most successful private practice physicians will hire competent office and business staff who know all the ins and outs of running an office. Your Other Choices The group practice is another great option that's almost a hybrid. It's similar to working in your own private practice yet with the benefits of a larger group and its association with a local hospital. Typically the family physician jobs in a group practice involve several doctors as well as a number of physician assistants and nurse practitioners. It's not a job for everyone, especially if you have difficulty getting along with multiple doctors and other personnel. The staff physician at a hospital or through a locum tenens agency is the best option for doctors who don't want to be tied down to an individual or group practice. These types of family physician jobs also offer special challenges in that the environment is constantly changing. In the hospital or clinic you're always meeting new types of people and taking on cases. As a locum tenens physician, you have that same dynamic plus the added challenge of moving from one facility to the next following each assignment.
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