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. Illinois has 4,685 practicing family doctors. Broken out by city, family practice doctor density in Saint Charles is 33, in Saint Elmo is 1, in Saint Joseph is 2, in Salem is 14, in Sandwich is 12, in Sauget is 1, in Savanna is 1, in Savoy is 1, in Schaumburg is 46, in Schiller Park is 2, in Scott Afb is 19, in Sesser is 6, in Shawneetown is 2, in Sheffield is 1, in Shelbyville is 5, in Sheldon is 2, in Sherman is 1, in Shiloh is 1, in Shorewood is 1, in Silvis is 20, in Skokie is 29, in Smithton is 2, in South Barrington is 1, in South Beloit is 3, in South Bend is 1, in South Elgin is 1, in South Holland is 12, in Sparta is 10, in Spring Grove is 1, in Spring Valley is 8, in Springfield is 136, in Staunton is 3, in Steeleville is 12, in Sterling is 19, in Stickney is 1, in Stockton is 2, in Streamwood is 5, in Streator is 11, in Stronghurst is 1, in Sugar Grove is 1, in Sullivan is 6, in Summit is 3, in Summit Argo is 1, in Swansea is 3, and in Sycamore is 11.

Most people think that Chicago, because of its size and popularity, is Illinois’ capital city, but that distinction belongs to Springfield, home of the Abraham Lincoln Museum. Illinois has hundreds of museums, numerous yearly art and ethnic festivals, a lakeshore bordering Lake Michigan, and the many national forests and parks that offers visitors camping, horseback riding, biking, kayaking, and fishing. Chicago is home to the Sears Tower, the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, and other cultural opportunities and restaurants in the Navy Pier area.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Illinois has a population of 12,763,371. Of this population, 3,172,677 are under the age of 18 and 1,523,937 are at or above the age of 65.