Family Doctor in the San Francisco Area

Family doctors are physicians specializing in the treatment of the whole body. They treat each illness, each organ, and each system regardless of age or gender. The main advantage of seeing a family doctor in San Francisco is the continuous, personal patient-physician relationship that promotes premium, comprehensive care.

Physicians who wish to become family doctors in San Francisco must complete three formal years of residency in addition to undergraduate and medical school. During this residency period, family doctors gain experience in caring for people in all stages of life, in ear, nose, and throat care, as well as in care for chronic conditions, particularly diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. This extensive experience immerses the prospective family doctor in most areas of general medicine and ensures that the doctor is capable of diagnosing and treating the broad range of illnesses he or she will encounter in his or her career.

Regularly scheduling visits to your family doctor is key to maintaining your good health. The personalized approach family doctors in San Francisco use with patients is an integral part of good long-term health patterns. To develop your personal treatment plan, your family doctor will ask questions about your family health history and lifestyle to determine your health risk factors. Having a doctor who knows your face makes your visits both more pleasant and less stressful.

Family doctors in San Francisco adhere to the rigorous standards of medical care. The American Board of Family Medicine requires recertification by written examination every six years. To maintain board certification, family doctors are required to complete a minimum of 150 hours of continuous medical education every three years to foster self-assessment and growth in clinical knowledge and skill. In addition, family doctors in San Francisco are supported by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), which provides high-quality learning opportunities for family doctors, as well as patient education materials and practice management support. It is clear that family doctors provide the best in patient care by vigorously pursuing excellence in each area of general medicine.

Most family doctors in San Francisco are members of the Medical Association as well as the San Francisco Medical Society.