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. California has 11,973 practicing family doctors. Broken out by city, family practice doctor density in Alameda is 21, in Anaheim is 201, in Antioch is 29, in Auburn is 53, in Bakersfield is 133, in Berkeley is 76, in Beverly Hills is 43, in Brea is 41, in Brentwood is 10, in Burbank is 65, in Burlingame is 24, in Camarillo is 29, in Campbell is 13, in Chico is 55, in Chino is 45, in Chula Vista is 68, in Clovis is 48, in Concord is 31, in Corona is 48, in Covina is 25, in Culver City is 38, in Daly City is 28, in Davis is 74, in Diamond Bar is 30, in Downey is 73, in El Cajon is 37, in Encinitas is 51, in Escondido is 99, in Folsom is 43, in Fountain Valley is 75, in Fremont is 69, in Fresno is 184, in Fullerton is 37, in Glendale is 157, in Glendora is 24, in Grass Valley is 39, in Hemet is 43, in Highland is 20, in Huntington Beach is 81, in Irvine is 111, in La Mesa is 81, in Lafayette is 14, in Laguna Hills is 25, in Laguna Niguel is 25, in Lodi is 46, in Loma Linda is 67, in Long Beach is 219, in Los Alamitos is 25, in Los Angeles is 862, in Los Gatos is 44, in Manhattan Beach is 30, in Mission Viejo is 66, in Modesto is 148, in Moreno Valley is 51, in Murrieta is 22, in Newport Beach is 79, in Novato is 19, in Oakland is 133, in Oceanside is 44, in Orange is 113, in Oxnard is 86, in Palm Desert is 26, in Palm Springs is 48, in Pasadena is 112, in Placerville is 25, in Pomona is 81, in Rancho Cucamonga is 59, in Rancho Mirage is 21, in Redding is 95, in Redlands is 51, in Riverside is 155, in Roseville is 89, in Sacramento is 348, in Salinas is 116, in San Diego is 490, in San Francisco is 282, in San Jose is 232, in San Luis Obispo is 33, in San Ramon is 22, in Santa Ana is 155, in Santa Barbara is 71, in Santa Clara is 29, in Santa Cruz is 104, in Santa Maria is 50, in Santa Monica is 163, in Santa Rosa is 183, in Sebastopol is 34, in Simi Valley is 51, in Stockton is 99, in Temecula is 61, in Thousand Oaks is 48, in Torrance is 135, in Tustin is 39, in Upland is 49, in Visalia is 60, in Vista is 85, in Walnut Creek is 50, in Westlake Village is 23, in Whittier is 85, and in Yorba Linda is 37.

California’s population is 36,142,137, and it is America’s third largest and most populous state. It also claims the highest and lowest altitudes in the lower 48 states. The lowest point in the country, Death Valley, is also home to the nation’s highest recorded temperature, 134 degrees. Tourists flock to this state for its many outdoor activities and attractions, including Universal Studios, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive shopping, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, wine country tours, and California’s numerous beaches and parks. Los Angeles is the nation’s second largest city, but California’s capital is Sacramento. The giant sequoias in California’s forests are among the oldest living things in the world, and a redwood in the Redwood National Park is said to be the world’s tallest tree, at 365 feet. California achieved statehood in 1850, and was named the Golden State after the beginning of the Gold Rush in 1848.

According to 2005 Census estimates, California has a population of 36,132,147. Of this population, 9,308,563 are under the age of 18 and 3,827,038 are at or above the age of 65.