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- Apr 5, 2010
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Hello! As an undergrad I'm interested in a career as an MD. Family medicine is one of the fields that has gotten my attention.
One of my concerns as a family practitioner is that I would simply be a "middle man" between patients and specialists. I would want a medical career where I get the opportunity to treat my patients and help them through the healing process myself, not simply diagnose a problem and send them down the pike to a specialist of some sort.
Are my fears unfounded? How often do you find yourselves sending patients to specialists vs. being able to treat the patient yourself? Do you work closely with specialists that you send your patients to? Of course, I understand that I will be referring patients, I just don't want to make a career out of writing referrals.
I would love to hear comments from FP's from both rural and urban settings. I have a feeling that rural doc's are more all-encompassing.
Thanks
One of my concerns as a family practitioner is that I would simply be a "middle man" between patients and specialists. I would want a medical career where I get the opportunity to treat my patients and help them through the healing process myself, not simply diagnose a problem and send them down the pike to a specialist of some sort.
Are my fears unfounded? How often do you find yourselves sending patients to specialists vs. being able to treat the patient yourself? Do you work closely with specialists that you send your patients to? Of course, I understand that I will be referring patients, I just don't want to make a career out of writing referrals.
I would love to hear comments from FP's from both rural and urban settings. I have a feeling that rural doc's are more all-encompassing.
Thanks