Family Medicine in a Day

[utoh]

I am currently an undergraduate student and am interested in either Family Medicine or Podiatry. I have been pretty well set on podiatry for quite some time now as I have had a lot of experience with podiatry growing up. The issue that I have with podiatry, however, is that who knows what its future will be like with the Affordable Care Act affecting Medicaid (some states already do not cover podiatrists under Medicaid), residency issues, low salaries after graduating, with low meaning not enough money to pay back loans, and future of the profession. There are some benefits to podiatry that I very much like, such as surgery, essentially being ortho/derm/vascular of the lower extremity, and relatively high pay (median is usually reported somewhere from 120,000-160,000).
As far as family medicine goes, it seems that there is a much better chance of finding a job that will pay the bills, i.e. student loans after graduating. I have shadowed many podiatrists but have not been able to shadow a family medicine doctor. I'm interested in knowing what a typical day is like for a family doc. There are lots of posts on here regarding the life of a rural family doc; I just don't foresee my working in a rural setting. What is a typical day like for someone working in a city/suburb, as in what do people come in with, what kind of setting are you in, and hours worked per day? What is a realistic salary for a well established family medicine doctor? With the primary care physician shortage, it seems that job security in this field would be a sure thing.
Also, any insight into the seemingly great profession/words of wisdom would be very much appreciated! I am here to get as much info as possible as to make an informed decision on what I want to do with the rest of my life. I'm in the process of setting up a time to shadow, but finding a doctor that is willing has proven quite difficult.

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[thethom]

I am currently an undergraduate student and am interested in either Family Medicine or Podiatry. I have been pretty well set on podiatry for quite some time now as I have had a lot of experience with podiatry growing up. The issue that I have with podiatry, however, is that who knows what its future will be like with the Affordable Care Act affecting Medicaid (some states already do not cover podiatrists under Medicaid), residency issues, low salaries after graduating, with low meaning not enough money to pay back loans, and future of the profession. There are some benefits to podiatry that I very much like, such as surgery, essentially being ortho/derm/vascular of the lower extremity, and relatively high pay (median is usually reported somewhere from 120,000-160,000).
As far as family medicine goes, it seems that there is a much better chance of finding a job that will pay the bills, i.e. student loans after graduating. I have shadowed many podiatrists but have not been able to shadow a family medicine doctor. I'm interested in knowing what a typical day is like for a family doc. There are lots of posts on here regarding the life of a rural family doc; I just don't foresee my working in a rural setting. What is a typical day like for someone working in a city/suburb, as in what do people come in with, what kind of setting are you in, and hours worked per day? What is a realistic salary for a well established family medicine doctor? With the primary care physician shortage, it seems that job security in this field would be a sure thing.
Also, any insight into the seemingly great profession/words of wisdom would be very much appreciated! I am here to get as much info as possible as to make an informed decision on what I want to do with the rest of my life. I'm in the process of setting up a time to shadow, but finding a doctor that is willing has proven quite difficult.

The average day for a FM MD in a non-rural setting will be about the same as the average day for an internist and a pediatrician (somewhere in-between), as we treat both adults and kids. It would consist of seeing patients both scheduled and worked in for issues affecting every organ system. We will perform several procedures, may have to run to the hospital to take care of an inpatient (most FM MDs don't do inpt medicine by choice). We treat both acute and chronic issues (I see mostly acute stuff in the office). Most of us go home at 5pm to spend time with our families and friends.

 

[ghost dog]

The average day for a FM MD in a non-rural setting will be about the same as the average day for an internist and a pediatrician (somewhere in-between), as we treat both adults and kids. It would consist of seeing patients both scheduled and worked in for issues affecting every organ system. We will perform several procedures, may have to run to the hospital to take care of an inpatient (most FM MDs don't do inpt medicine by choice). We treat both acute and chronic issues (I see mostly acute stuff in the office). Most of us go home at 5pm to spend time with our families and friends.

DOOD: is there any particular reason you have your USMLE scores as your signature ?

Do you think there are talent scouts crusing these boards, and you may get signed up for the bigs ?