Family Medicine

What is family medicine?

Family medicine is the front line of health care; the place you go to when you have a medical problem or feel unwell, or when you need a flu shot or a Pap smear. It’s the first port of call whatever your problem because family medicine practitioners like Dr. Steel at Steel Family Medicine have extensive training in multiple areas of medicine, rather than specializing in one field.

Family doctors undergo training in:

• Pediatrics
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Internal medicine
• Psychiatry and Neurology
• Surgery
• Community medicine
• Geriatrics
• Emergency medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Radiology
• Orthopedics
• Otolaryngology
• Urology

Family medicine is the mainstay of health care, providing primary services to you and everyone close to you, regardless of age. Family doctors like Dr. Steel at Steel Family Medicine take a whole person approach to health care, so instead of focusing on a single bodily system that may be causing problems, a family doctor looks at those symptoms in the context of your overall health.

What can family medicine practitioners help me with?

With such a considerable breadth of knowledge, family medicine practitioners like Dr. Steel can provide comprehensive medical care. In the first instance, they can help with acute health problems, for example, if you’re sick or injured and need immediate aid.

They can also help you manage long-term health problems and chronic diseases, and support you if you have mental health issues. Even if you have serious health problems such as cancer and heart disease and need multidisciplinary care, Dr. Steel can coordinate that care to optimize your treatment.

Does family medicine help me stay well?

As well as treating you when you’re sick, Dr. Steel also helps you manage your health to prevent illness. One way she does this is to provide services such as:

• Routine checkups
• Health-risk assessments
• Immunization programs
• Screening tests

The other way Dr. Steel keeps you well is by helping you improve your health through lifestyle changes, for example, weight loss, fitness, tackling stress, and quitting unhealthy habits like smoking.

Lifestyle factors play a primary role in your health, so by helping you find ways to change your less healthy habits, Dr. Steel is giving you the tools to live a long, productive life which isn’t affected by preventable disease.

Find out more about the extensive range of services family medicine provides for you by calling Steel Family Medicine today, or book an appointment online.