Physician specialty: Family medicine

Whether you’re a medical student considering a specialty, a resident or fellow, or a practicing physician, the American Medical Association is here to help with information, resources and continuing medical education (CME) for family medicine.

Family physicians deliver a range of acute, chronic and preventive medical care services. Family physicians also manage chronic illness, often coordinating care provided by other subspecialists.

Family physicians deliver a range of acute, chronic and preventive medical care services. In addition to diagnosing and treating illness, they also provide preventive care, including routine checkups, health risk assessments, immunization and screening tests, and personalized counseling on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Family physicians help patients prevent, understand and manage illness, navigate the health system and set health goals. Family physicians and their staff adapt their care to the unique needs of their patients and communities. They use data to monitor and manage their patient population, and the latest science to prioritize services most likely to benefit health.

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Following medical school, three years of specialty training in family medicine is required prior to certification. Additional training may vary for subspecialists in family medicine depending on their focus.

In 2023, the average family medicine physician salary was $273,040*. The average resident/fellow salary was $59,429.96+.

• American Academy of Family Physicians

If you’re a medical student considering a family medicine residency or a current resident looking to change programs to family medicine, these were the top 10 most-viewed residency programs in family medicine in 2023 from FREIDA™, the AMA Residency & Fellowship Database®.

1. Providence Hospital/Alaska Family Medicine Program
2. BronxCare Health System Program
3. St Vincent's East Program
4. Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center of Chicago Program
5. Prime West Consortium/Chino Valley Medical Center Program
6. Clinica Sierra Vista-Bakersfield Program
7. Midwestern University GME Consortium/Mountain Vista Program
8. Ascension Illinois/Saint Mary (Chicago) Program
9. University of Alabama Medical Center (Huntsville) Program
10. SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Program

For practicing physicians in family medicine, the AMA Ed Hub™ provides a deep selection of CME options to help keep skills and knowledge current, at home or on the go. Earn as much as 22.30 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ from these popular courses for starters.

• Sedentary Behavior and Incident Dementia Among Older Adults (1 credit)
• Pain and Racism in Medicine and Health Care (0.25 credit)
• Removing Unnecessary EHR Inbox Messages (20 credits)
• Why We Need to Stop Labeling Behaviors Influencing a Person's Weight Ideal or Healthy (1 credit)

Podcasts

• Opioid Prescribing and Appropriate Pain Management (0.5 credit)

No matter where you are in your career, stay current on the latest research and findings in family medicine with content from the JAMA Network™.

• Screening and Preventive Interventions for Oral Health in Children and Adolescents Aged 5 to 17 Years

Podcasts

• Small Interventions Matter
• Obesity Management in Primary Care
• Challenges of Addressing Food and Housing Insecurity in a Medicaid Context

Video

• Climate Change and Health

*Doximity 2023 Physician Compensation Report (PDF)

+FREIDA Specialty Guide