Family Medicine Physicians

More than 10 years ago, in a rural town in Ottawa County, Canada, a beautiful baby girl named Amanda was born to a 16-year-old teenage mother whose husband had left her and moved away without a word. Unfortunately, Amanda suffered from breathing problems and stomach disorders during infancy, which significantly affected her growth, and her mother realized then that her daughter might need a long treatment journey. So she chose to go to a doctor specialized in all aspects of healthcare, known as a "family physician." Dr. Ali Khan Abdullah, the family physician who took charge of treating Amanda's condition, noticed at the time that her mother was suffering from severe depression, ongoing anxiety, and stress, and that she too needed to undergo psychological treatment. Dr. Ali Khan, the family medicine specialist, continued monitoring Amanda's and her mother's physical and mental health for more than 10 years. Amanda even went through mental health struggles during adolescence and faced health problems in her digestive system and skeletal structure, which got in the way of her ability to learn and stay in school, prompting Dr. Ali Khan to find her an educational assistance program offered by some hospitals and care centers. Dr. Ali Khan helped Amanda and her mother get through many health and social problems over the years, engaging with their struggles and forming a close bond with them, as if he were a member of their own family. You might be surprised that a single doctor could remain devoted to one particular family for more than a decade, and you might wonder how he was able to diagnose and treat the various illnesses they faced — but dear reader, that's exactly what a family physician is meant to do and provide for any family under their care. The nature of the family medicine specialty makes it different from other medical fields — a family physician is an expert across most medical specialties and can provide healthcare to women, men, children, and the elderly, meaning they can care for an entire family for a lifetime. They become responsible for diagnosing and treating the father, mother, children, and even grandparents for the various illnesses and injuries they experience, and family members often come to see them multiple times a year, so they become deeply familiar with the family's medical history and can anticipate health problems that parents and grandchildren might face and help them prevent them. They monitor the family's health over the years and guide them toward necessary checkups at certain stages, and they're also responsible for referring family members under their care to specialist doctors or surgeons in case of a serious illness, recommending the best hospitals that can provide them good healthcare, and accompanying them through their recovery journey.

Meet the Writer: Waleed Abo Omiraa