Family & Community Medicine (2024)

FAQs

What is the hardest part about Family Medicine? ›

The most challenging and rewarding aspects of family medicine: One of the most challenging aspects in primary care is that patients rarely present to you with textbook symptoms, so there is always some element of uncertainty you must deal with.

Most exams are 110 questions and you are given 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete the exam. An exception is the Family Medicine shelf which has a shorter version with 90 questions in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

One option is to use the pediatrics, ob/GYN, and internal medicine topics, but this could easily be overwhelming to try to get through in the short time that you have. Although UWorld is still helpful, there are two other sources of questions that may be more useful for the Family Med Shelf: PreTest and the AAFP.

In February 1969, family medicine (then known as family practice) was recognized as a distinct specialty in the U.S. It was the twentieth specialty to be recognized.

Neurosurgery is often considered one of the most demanding and competitive specialties in medicine. This field involves the surgical treatment of conditions affecting the brain, spine, and nervous system. Neurosurgeons may treat everything from brain tumors and aneurysms to spinal cord injuries and congenital defects.

Each shelf has its own qualities that make it challenging.

Many students also find that the family medicine rotation itself is not too difficult, but the shelf is particularly demanding because it's so broad and has components from pediatrics, OB/GYN, internal medicine, and psychiatry.

Minimum passing standard is 380. 2. First-time takers can be applying for initial certification or continuing their certification, but they are not testing on this occasion due to a prior failure.

UWorld makes the job of studying easy, so you can spend less time worrying about how to study and more time learning, serving your patients, and, of course, saving a little free time for yourself each day! UWorld truly is the only study tool you need to ace your shelf exams.

The single biggest challenge for family physicians will be to continue to be able to make the case of the effectiveness and efficacy of the model of family practice services in a system that is fragmented and oriented toward short-term rewards.

If you score well on your shelf exams, it can be a nice complement to your OSCE or NAC OSCE when readying your applications to residencies. The exam is graded on a national average, curved to a mean of 70 with a standard deviation of 8, so it is not an easy task to ace this exam.

What happens if you fail the shelf exam? ›

If your medical school allows retakes, if you fail a Shelf exam, it is advisable to retake it within 90 days of your first attempt. This is because initial Shelf scores can be completely expunged and replaced with the retake score if the retake occurs within 90 days after the original exam.

The two degrees reflect different types of medical school training. MD-granting institutions are often called allopathic medical schools, while DOs attend osteopathic medical schools.

Family physicians are trained to diagnose and treat an entire spectrum of medical issues for patients of all ages. “Family physicians have a broader scope,” Dr. Doggett explains.

Hippocrates of Kos (460-377 Before Common Era, BCE) is universally recognized as the father of modern medicine, which is based on observation of clinical signs and rational conclusions, and does not rely on religious or magical beliefs.

Most family practice settings have limited available resources and limited access to technology. The maintenance of health records is also very important and is often difficult for FP with less resources and technical support. Updating knowledge requires more effort than a hospital-based specialist.

As it has always been, the greatest challenge for family physicians will be to uphold the integrity of the profession by doing what is best for our patients, putting ourselves second. Patients will always be served best where the market is freest.

Family physicians operate at a higher level of uncertainty than hospital physicians. The burnout rate among family physicians is 25–60% in different countries [3, 9, 10] and the prevalence also differs among various states within the United States [11].

Family physicians have more control over when and where they practice than many other specialists. You can build a career that gives you the time you want for hobbies, family and everything else that adds up to a well-rounded, fulfilling life.