What is the difference between family medicine specialist and other specialists?

Question

What is the difference between family medicine specialist and other specialists?

Answer 1

The specialty trains more for breadth than depth and concentrates to a degree on longitudinal time-lines rather than simple episodic care.

Answer 2

Family medicine specialists are primary caregivers, meaning that they're the doctor you go to for general care or as the first place you go.  If they think you have a more specific problem, they might refer you to another doctor (send you to a cardiologist for a heart problem, a neurologist if they thought you were having seizures, that kind of thing) but they generally are prepared to treat quite a wide range of common diseases and problems.

They also, unlike most other specialists, treat a wide range of ages.  When I did my family practice elective, the youngest patient I saw was five days old and the oldest had just turned ninety.  They also often do gynecological exams; internists can do them too, but family practice doctors are more likely to provide "complete care."  So they can be the go-to doctor not just for all basic medical care, but throughout life.

In some areas, family practitioners may even perform simple surgery like appendectomies and c-sections.  That isn't typical for urban areas--there are surgeons and OBs readily available--but in small towns or rural areas, they may.