How to Become a Family Practice Doctor

Family practice doctors act as primary care physicians for children, adults and seniors. Their practice focuses on preventative care and management of chronic conditions such as diabetes. Family doctors diagnose and treat a wide spectrum of illnesses and conditions and refer patients to specialists in the event of serious illness. The field of family medicine accounts for the leading specialty of medical doctors. Becoming a family practice doctor requires medical school, residency and continuing education.

1. Attend an accredited college or university and earn a 4-year bachelor’s degree. Focus your coursework on math, biology, chemistry, physics and human sciences. Make sure you fulfill the required prerequisite courses for medical school.


2. Take the Medical College Admission Test, MCAT, in preparation for applying to medical school. A high MCAT score, combined with an above average college GPA, strong letters of recommendation and personal interviews helps you gain acceptance into medical school.


3. Research different medical schools and apply to the schools that offer a curriculum that best fits your desire to become a family practice doctor. Choose either a Medical Doctor, M.D. program or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, D.O. program.


4. Begin a four-year medical school program. The first two years focus on lecture and laboratory education. You will study biology, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, biochemistry and immunology. The final two years of medical school involve hands-on training through supervised clinical rotations.


5. Upon completion of medical school, a medical doctor can sit for the United States Medical Licensing Examination, USMLE, and an osteopathic doctor can take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Exam, COMPLEX. A medical license is required to practice as a doctor.


6. Medical doctors enter a three-year residency in family medicine. During this focused training period, clinical rotations involve internal medicine, obstetrics, family medicine, pediatrics and psychiatry. This allows exposure to a wide range of medical specialties.


7. Doctors of Osteopathy enter a one-year internship, rotating through the different medical specialties, followed by a residency period ranging from 2 to 6 years.


8. Seek board certification in family medicine by taking the American Board of Medical Specialists, ABMS or the American Osteopathic Association, AOA. Board certification tests your knowledge and expertise in the field of family medicine. Doctors maintain board certification by fulfilling continuing education requirements outlined by the medical board.