29-1062.00 - Family and General Practitioners

Updated 2011

Summary Report for:
29-1062.00 - Family and General Practitioners

Physicians who diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries that commonly occur in the general population. May refer patients to specialists when needed for further diagnosis or treatment.

Sample of reported job titles: Physician, Family Physician, Family Practice Physician, Medical Doctor (MD), Family Practitioner, Family Medicine Physician, Medical Staff Physician, Primary Care Physician, Board Certified Family Physician, Family Practice Doctor

View report: Summary Details Custom

Tasks

Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
Order, perform, and interpret tests and analyze records, reports, and examination information to diagnose patients' condition.
Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, and examination results.
Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
Refer patients to medical specialists or other practitioners when necessary.
Coordinate work with nurses, social workers, rehabilitation therapists, pharmacists, psychologists, and other health care providers.
Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, students, assistants, specialists, therapists, and other medical staff.
Plan, implement, or administer health programs or standards in hospitals, businesses, or communities for prevention or treatment of injury or illness.

Tools & Technology

Tools used in this occupation:

Medical oxygen masks or parts — Neonatal airways; Oxygen masks; Patient airways

Ophthalmoscopes or otoscopes or scope sets — Ophthalmoscopes; Otoscopes

Resuscitation masks or accessories — Neonatal resuscitation masks; Valve mask resuscitators

Surgical clamps or clips or forceps or accessories — Cord clamps; Dressing forceps; Ear forceps; Mosquito clamps

Surgical scissors — Episiotomy scissors; Operating scissors; Umbilical cord scissors

Technology used in this occupation:

Accounting software — Billing software

Electronic mail software — Email software

Internet browser software — Web browser software

Medical software — Acrendo Medical Software Family Practice EMR; Allscripts Professional EHR; eClinicalWorks software; Misys Healthcare Systems Mysis Tiger

Office suite software — Microsoft Office software

Knowledge

Medicine and Dentistry — Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Therapy and Counseling — Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Chemistry — Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Sociology and Anthropology — Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Skills

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Science — Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.

Abilities

Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Work Activities

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Provide Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Work Context

Exposed to Disease or Infections — How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?

Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?

Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?

Consequence of Error — How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable?

Coordinate or Lead Others — How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?

Job Zone

Title	Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Education	Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related Experience	Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job Training	Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Job Zone Examples	These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, wildlife biologists, school psychologists, surgeons, treasurers, and controllers.
SVP Range	(8.0 and above)

Education

Percentage of Respondents	Education Level Required
97	Doctoral or professional degree
3	Master's degree

Interests

Interest code: IS

Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Work Styles

Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.

Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Work Values

Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Recognition — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Related Occupations

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29-1081.00	Podiatrists
29-1131.00	Veterinarians
29-1141.00	Registered Nurses

Wages & Employment Trends

National

Employment data collected from Physicians and Surgeons.
Industry data collected from Physicians and Surgeons.

Median wages (2011)	$80.29 hourly, $167,000 annual
Employment (2010)	691,000 employees
Projected growth (2010-2020)	Faster than average (20% to 28%)
Projected job openings (2010-2020)	305,100
Top industries (2010)	Health Care and Social Assistance Self-Employed

State & National

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2011 wage data and 2010-2020 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2010-2020). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Sources of Additional Information

Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

Physicians and Surgeons . Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition.

Summary Report for: 29-1062.00 - Family and General Practitioners