Primary Care Physicians

The healthcare department is one of the most important and active parts of society. A trusted resource and professional services offer great help in maintaining good health. Healthcare professionals serve society and are supposed to hold great responsibility. A well-trained primary care physician can single-handedly help many ailments. Need a trusted resource to maintain your good health? Primary care offers excellent services regarding all of your health concerns. This article summarizes all the relevant knowledge about primary care physicians and their types. Therefore, you can get upfront knowledge before getting a good primary care physician for your healthcare needs.

Introduction

Primary care physicians can lead you through the whole treatment during a chronic health condition that requires careful management. Primary care can enhance the healthcare of people. According to the findings of a recently conducted study from 2019, Americans that hold primary care services can enjoy enhanced healthcare compared to others. Having the services of a primary health care physician offers even more focused healthcare values. For various chronic diseases or illnesses, including cancer screening, diabetes, etc., primary care physicians are considered the best option for patients’ wellbeing and fast recovery. In addition, an experienced physician can help you with your sudden injuries, accidents, and illness.

What exactly is a primary care physician?

A primary care physician is a well-trained medical doctor who holds excellent responsibilities towards their patient’s healthcare. They are trained to diagnose, prevent and treat patients with different illnesses and injuries in society. Primary care physicians are just like other experienced medical professionals but with thorough training in handling different chronic and acute health conditions of their patients—an experienced physician considered valid enough to address long-term health issues including cancer screening and diabetes. Along with the chronic conditions, a good physician could offer their medical services to various acute conditions, including allergies, bronchitis, cold, and flu, etc. 

Qualification and Training of Primary Care Physicians

Medical education and training is a lengthy and time-taking process. However, years of education and focused training could generate a well-experienced physician. After a long four years of college graduation, physicians attend a medical school for the next four years to attain a degree as a Medical Doctor or Doctor of Osteopathy. After getting their degree, physicians move towards the next step of specialization in their desired medical field, which might take 3 to 7 years, depending on their field. Most of the time, physicians take a fellowship after completing their specialization. Fellowship is basically about getting more specific about a particular medical service field, which took about 1 to 3 years. 

Traditionally primary care physicians prefer to pursue family medicine, pediatrics, geriatrics, and internal medicine. However, sometimes doctors decided to become board certified which could be possible by giving rigorous exams and practices after completing residency to prove their chosen medical field. In a simple version, being a primary care physician is a tough job; hence they hold great healthcare service values.

Why Are Primary Care Physicians Important?

Primary care physicians hold a significant role in the healthcare department. By taking advantage of their years of education and practices, they can generate excellent healthcare services for their patients. Having a primary care physician can impact the overall health maintenance of patients. You can get a complete set of primary health services from your physician. You can find practicing primary care physicians in different settings. Some of the important practice settings of physicians include the following;

• Walk-in clinics.
• Group practices.
• Long-term health care services settings.
• Inpatient and outpatient clinic settings.
• Private hospitals.

Types of Primary Care Physicians 

Primary care physicians can be experts in different fields; hence they hold different medical practices. However, the primary medical education of all medical professionals can be similar to some extent. But depending on their choice of interest, they can diverge into different fields under the one primary domain. Some of the most popular types of primary care physicians are described as follows.

1. Family Doctors 

Family doctors hold a significant amount portion of primary care physicians. Different hospitals and medical clinics are well acquainted with professional and experienced family doctors. They hold great experience in treating patients of all ages. Primarily they are trained in pediatrics, geriatric medicine, adult medicine, and musculoskeletal care. Mostly children and patients from a young age (10-15%) get medical help from family doctors.

2. Internists

Internists are the primary care physicians that choose internal medicine for their specializations. They are well trained in treating adult patients in different acute or chronic conditions. Scope of the training of internists depends on endocrinology, neurology, geriatrics, orthopedics, rheumatology, and rehabilitation. They offer the best medical services in their field through their walk-in clinic, hospitals, or private settings.

3. Pediatricians 

Many primary care physicians choose training that focuses on treating chronic or acute conditions that can affect babies, teenagers, or children. Pediatricians provide their medical services to children by further specializing in different fields. Two of the most important fields among pediatricians are pediatric neurology and pediatric cardiology. These primary care physicians offer their services in different settings, including children’s hospitals, clinics, and other group or private settings. 

4. Geriatricians 

Geriatricians are primary care providers who hold practices to offer medical services to older adults in different issues, including insomnia, dementia, and other diseases. Mostly Geriatricians are very rare and hard to locate in the US. Internists or family doctors can also help patients who need geriatricians.

5. Nurse Practitioners 

You could get your medical healthcare treatment services from a nurse practitioner or physician assistant in a primary care practice. They are highly trained medical professionals in primary care. Mostly NPs work under the supervision of a physician. 

When To Visit A Primary Care Physician?

Primary care physicians offer all the medical and healthcare services, so they are supposed to be your first choice for any medical condition. Other than medical emergencies, people prefer to go to their primary care physician to discuss and get medical help for their different kinds of acute or chronic medical conditions. You can visit a physician to get help for some allergic reaction or discuss some chronic disease or sudden injury. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.