Primary Care Discussion

[bluesTank]

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I am having trouble understanding what exactly a primary care physician is. I understand that a family doctor or pediatrician is considered "primary care." But what defines this? Does it simply mean you are unspecialized? Would ER doctors be considered primary care? I am trying to determine whether I have any primary care experience. The UTSW asks if we have any experience in primary care, what would be some examples besides shadowing a family practice doctor specifically?

Thanks (sorry this is a little confusing)

 

[TheRealMD]

I am having trouble understanding what exactly a primary care physician is. I understand that a family doctor or pediatrician is considered "primary care." But what defines this? Does it simply mean you are unspecialized? Would ER doctors be considered primary care? I am trying to determine whether I have any primary care experience. The UTSW asks if we have any experience in primary care, what would be some examples besides shadowing a family practice doctor specifically?

Thanks (sorry this is a little confusing)

I'm guessing primary care in the real world is anyone who doesn't do either teaching or research for the most part with their MD degree. In other words, they want to go med school to treat patients (primary care) instead of indirectly affect the field of medicine (teaching & research).

For the UTSW app when I get to it, I'm just putting down primary care, and perhaps teaching (experience - volunteering at grade schools). I'd call the admissions office to actually ask what they are looking for, but that could be pestering. 😛

 

[146233]

I'm guessing primary care in the real world is anyone who doesn't do either teaching or research for the most part with their MD degree. In other words, they want to go med school to treat patients (primary care) instead of indirectly affect the field of medicine (teaching & research).

Not entirely true. An orthopedic surgeon who does not conduct research or teach would still not be considered a primary care physician. PCP's are the initial point of consultation for medical conditions (i.e., Family Practitioners, Pediatricians, Internists, etc.). ED Physicians are primary care practitioners in that they are indeed the first point of contact for a great many persons, but even they discharge patients with orders to follow up with their PCP.

Best of luck!

 

[smq123]

I'm guessing primary care in the real world is anyone who doesn't do either teaching or research for the most part with their MD degree. In other words, they want to go med school to treat patients (primary care) instead of indirectly affect the field of medicine (teaching & research).

No - many primary care doctors teach and do community-health research projects. And many specialists do not teach and do not do research, but are only involved in clinical, patient care.

Primary care means that you are the PRIMARY person in charge of someone's health care. In other words, if they had a health problem, you would be the first one that they would turn to, and you oversee the majority of their health care. Any further, specialized care needed is based on your clinical judgement - i.e. you decide to refer them to a specialist.

The definitive primary care specialties are family med, internal med, and pediatrics. Some people also include psychiatry in that definition, and other include OB/Gyn, but this isn't universal. Emergency medicine is urgent care, and does not qualify under the definition of "primary."

 

[TheRealMD]

Lol, if that's the case, I don't know where you'd fit some specialties (surgery and the like...)

The options UTSW gives are kind of narrow then. You could end up not checking any of them, but that would look really bad because you'd have nothing to put in the text box below it.

 

[Vvandenn]

Yep, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and sometimes ob/gyn.

 

[smq123]

I am having trouble understanding what exactly a primary care physician is. I understand that a family doctor or pediatrician is considered "primary care." But what defines this? Does it simply mean you are unspecialized? Would ER doctors be considered primary care? I am trying to determine whether I have any primary care experience. The UTSW asks if we have any experience in primary care, what would be some examples besides shadowing a family practice doctor specifically?

I don't know what the question specifically asks for, but sometimes you can put down any community-health related stuff. For instance, if you've volunteered in a homeless shelter, a needle-exchange site, or a community health-awareness type event (a lot of HIV organizations periodically hold those), they might accept that as well. In the "real world," that's often where a lot of primary care doctors work.

 

[Tropicana100]

I'm guessing primary care in the real world is anyone who doesn't do either teaching or research for the most part with their MD degree. In other words, they want to go med school to treat patients (primary care) instead of indirectly affect the field of medicine (teaching & research).

For the UTSW app when I get to it, I'm just putting down primary care, and perhaps teaching (experience - volunteering at grade schools). I'd call the admissions office to actually ask what they are looking for, but that could be pestering. 😛

You're confusing primary vs. secondary with private practice vs. academic medicine. Primary care has nothing to do with whether or not the physician teaches or does research. "Primary" refers to non-specialized care, like every-day health problems, i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. "Secondary" refers to specialized care like surgery, neuorology, and anesthesiology. Primary care physicians can be academic or private practice, just as secondary care physicians can do academic or private practice.