
Family Practice Vs Internal Medicine: A Breakdown of Both Practices
What’s the difference between family practice vs internal medicine practice? Well, for simplification purposes the difference is who the doctor treats. An internal medicine practitioner strictly treats adults, while a family practice doctor cares for patients of all ages.Family Practice Physician
A family practice physician addresses a large breadth of topics including but not limited to pediatrics, adult medicine, maternity care, gynecology, skin care of the surgical patient, emergency care, sports medicine, mental health, diagnostic imaging, and nuclear medicine. Basically the a family practice physician encompasses all ages, both sexes, and alignments of all manifestation. A great benefit for seeing a family practice physician is the comprehensive and continuing care that they tend to provide.Internal Medicine Physician
Internal medicine physicians are great as well. They focus specifically on adult health and some even see older adolescents. However, they do not treat pediatric patients or neonates. Like family practice physicians, internal medicine doctors are exposed to a wide variety of medicinal practices. But, a trend is showing that many internists are focusing sub-specializing in a very specific field, allowing them to be more knowledgeable in their chosen area of specialty. Some of these fields can include:- Infectious disease
- Cardiology
- Sleep medicine
- Gastroenterology
- Allergy and immunology
- Geriatrics
- Psychiatry
- Dermatology
- Ophthalmology
- Office Gynecology
- Palliative medicine
- Rehabilitation medicine
- Oncology
- and sports medicine, just to name a few.
Family Practice vs Internal Medicine: Which Doctor is Right for Me?
Family practice and internal medicine practices both have pros. The decision in choosing a family practice vs internal medicine physician lies in what’s best for you.
How Should I Choose A Family Practice Physician?
If a family practice physician is the right choice for you, take some time to select a doctor that will give you the best care possible. In order to ensure you’re getting the right family physician for you follow these guidelines:Choose one in your insurance provider.
You’re already paying for medical insurance. Capitalize on your plan by selecting a provider in your network. Many insurance companies have websites that make it easy to discover which offices are in-network. You can also call the doctor’s office directly and ask if they take your insurance.Get recommendations.
The world is getting smaller and smaller, which in this case is a pro. You can ask all sorts of people to recommend a good doctor. Ask your friends on Facebook, check Yelp, and don’t forget to look at the doctor’s webpage for success stories. If they are good, they will have raving testimonials satisfied patients.Check availability.
There is nothing worse than waiting a week to see your doctor when you’re lying on the couch in a sweat or spending more time in the bathroom than the bedroom. Ask the doctor’s office how quickly a patient can come in after they call. Here’s a hint: you’ll want one that can see you the same day or next day.Wait time.

I found it interesting that you state that it’s important to take your younger kids to a family practice. My brother is moving to a new area and wants to find a good doctor to help take care of his kids’ health. I will send him this information so he can make sure to find a physician practice in his new town.