General practitioners treat a variety of illnesses and injuries.
General practitioners, otherwise known as family doctors or primary care physicians, are typically the first physicians people contact and visit in the event of illness or injury. According to an article published in "Bloomberg Businessweek," general practitioners are grossly underpaid compared to other types of physicians.
Job Description
Unlike specialists, who limit their practice to particular conditions or patients of a certain age, general practitioners diagnose, treat and prevent various illnesses in patients of all ages. They also perform physical examinations, maintain health histories and refer patients to specialists when necessary.
Salary
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2008, a general practitioner's salary averaged $186,044 per year while a specialist's averaged $339,738 annually. Based on those numbers, the general practitioner will make approximately $4.6 million less in the course of a 30-year career.
Implications
The salary discrepancy between generalists and specialists has led to a shortage of primary care physicians that, according to Lee Bowman of Scripps News Service, is increasing patient reliance on hospital emergency rooms for basic medical care. Although federal government efforts are being made to increase the availability and supply of primary care, Bowman's report claims that experts doubt the measures will reverse the current trend of fewer new doctors becoming general practitioners.
Tags: primary care, care physicians, general practitioner, general practitioners, primary care physicians
