What is a Family Doctor?

What is a Family Doctor? I get surprised looks every day by patients when I explain what we as family doctors can do for them and their families.  My youngest patients are newborns just out of the hospital and my oldest patients are over 100 years old.  As family doctors, we provide well child visits, well-woman care, minor biopsies and surgical procedures, sports physicals, DOT exams and care for chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease.  One of the most important things I provide for my patients is a clear explanation of what exactly happened at that hospital stay, or what the tests a specialist performed really mean, as well as an overview of their whole health to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks.  It never fails to amaze me how getting to know a whole family and generations of families helps me to understand and treat better each individual person.