Family practice is the branch of medicine concerning the total health care of the person and the family. A family practice physician can have a varied and extensive medical background, including internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and geriatrics. A family physician has the skills and knowledge to provide care and health maintenance education for all ages. This physician is trained to diagnose and treat each member of the family, no matter what the problem.

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are emphysema, broncho-esophagology, pneumonia, osteoarthritis , bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, asthma, pectus excavatum, osteoporosis, infection, diabetes, cancer, acne, alzheimer's disease, hypertension, autism, yeast infection, strep throat, anemia, and aneurysm.

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including wart removal and mole removal.

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including bone density test, faa-flight physicial, physicial / check up, physicial, biopsy, computed axial tomography (ct or cat scan), magnetic resonance imaging (mri), electrocardiogram (ecg or ekg), ultrasound, x-ray, blood test, upper gi (barium swallow), stool test, lower gi (barium enema), electrolyte test, microbiological culture, and ph probe test.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Alabama has 1,574 practicing family doctors. Broken out by city, family practice doctor density in Adamsville is 3, in Alabaster is 13, in Albertville is 23, in Alexander City is 12, in Aliceville is 4, in Andalusia is 9, in Anniston is 41, in Arab is 5, in Ashford is 2, in Ashland is 4, in Athens is 21, in Atmore is 9, in Auburn is 14, in Bay Minette is 10, in Bessemer is 20, in Birmingham is 205, in Boaz is 11, in Butler is 5, in Calera is 1, in Carrollton is 6, in Centre is 10, in Chatom is 5, in Chelsea is 3, in Clanton is 5, in Columbiana is 8, in Courtland is 1, in Cullman is 28, in Daphne is 21, in Decatur is 35, in Demopolis is 11, in Dothan is 34, in Elberta is 5, in Enterprise is 12, in Eutaw is 1, in Fairfield is 5, in Fairhope is 14, in Fayette is 8, in Florence is 17, in Foley is 17, in Gadsden is 54, in Gardendale is 8, in Geneva is 5, in Graysville is 4, in Greensboro is 4, in Greenville is 3, in Grove Hill is 7, in Gulf Shores is 14, in Guntersville is 11, in Haleyville is 11, in Hartselle is 7, in Helena is 3, in Homewood is 4, in Hoover is 9, in Huntsville is 142, in Jackson is 8, in Jacksonville is 12, in Jasper is 31, in Killen is 2, in Madison is 41, in Mobile is 87, in Monroeville is 12, in Montevallo is 1, in Montgomery is 89, in Moody is 5, in Moulton is 9, in Mountain Brook is 8, in Northport is 11, in Oneonta is 11, in Opelika is 12, in Opp is 8, in Orange Beach is 6, in Oxford is 8, in Ozark is 9, in Pelham is 11, in Phenix City is 16, in Pleasant Grove is 2, in Prattville is 16, in Prichard is 1, in Rainbow City is 6, in Red Bay is 4, in Roanoke is 3, in Robertsdale is 3, in Rogersville is 2, in Russellville is 6, in Saraland is 10, in Scottsboro is 19, in Selma is 38, in Sheffield is 8, in Spanish Fort is 3, in Springville is 2, in Summerdale is 1, in Talladega is 11, in Troy is 10, in Trussville is 5, in Tuscaloosa is 91, in Tuscumbia is 5, in Valley is 6, in Wetumpka is 6, in Winfield is 6, and in Woodland is 3.

Montgomery is the capital city of this southern state, though Birmingham is its largest city. Population in 2005 was 4,557,808. Alabama is the birthplace of historical figures Hank Aaron, Helen Keller, and George Washington Carver. Take an airboat tour on the Mobile river delta, see the Alabama Civil Rights museum in Mantua, or tour the Jazz Hall of Fame in Birmingham. Visit the Shakespeare Festival Theater Complex in Montgomery, or play a round of golf at one of Alabama’s many acclaimed courses. From the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the state’s north to the Gulf coast beaches in the south, Alabama’s scenery includes a varied and diverse landscape.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Alabama has a population of 4,557,808. Of this population, 1,074,627 are under the age of 18 and 600,258 are at or above the age of 65.