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. Minnesota has 3,186 practicing family doctors. Broken out by city, family practice doctor density in Albert Lea is 38, in Alexandria is 31, in Andover is 64, in Apple Valley is 63, in Aurora is 16, in Austin is 29, in Baudette is 6, in Belgrade is 12, in Belle Plaine is 4, in Bemidji is 27, in Blaine is 32, in Bloomington is 175, in Blue Earth is 8, in Brooklyn Center is 37, in Brooklyn Park is 49, in Brooten is 6, in Browerville is 13, in Burnsville is 111, in Cambridge is 56, in Cass Lake is 13, in Champlin is 25, in Chaska is 37, in Columbia Heights is 24, in Coon Rapids is 91, in Cottage Grove is 92, in Cromwell is 6, in Crosby is 20, in Crystal is 30, in Deer River is 6, in Detroit Lakes is 20, in Duluth is 155, in Eagan is 91, in Eden Prairie is 88, in Edina is 86, in Elbow Lake is 2, in Evansville is 2, in Excelsior is 25, in Forest Lake is 27, in Frazee is 3, in Fridley is 42, in Glencoe is 16, in Glenwood is 6, in Golden Valley is 15, in Hastings is 87, in Hendricks is 4, in Hibbing is 51, in Hinckley is 17, in Hoffman is 1, in Hopkins is 27, in International Falls is 21, in Inver Grove Heights is 18, in Ivanhoe is 4, in Jackson is 4, in Lakeville is 23, in Little Falls is 22, in Long Lake is 2, in Luverne is 14, in Mankato is 73, in Maple Grove is 87, in Maplewood is 42, in Menahga is 11, in Minneapolis is 644, in Minnetonka is 78, in Montevideo is 15, in Moorhead is 20, in Moose Lake is 35, in Morris is 10, in Morris is 10, in Oakdale is 50, in Ortonville is 4, in Owatonna is 28, in Plymouth is 76, in Prior Lake is 29, in Red Wing is 21, in Richfield is 29, in Robbinsdale is 31, in Rochester is 147, in Roseau is 12, in Roseville is 52, in Sandstone is 17, in Sartell is 5, in Sauk Centre is 6, in Savage is 8, in Shakopee is 45, in Shoreview is 50, in Slayton is 5, in Staples is 14, in Starbuck is 7, in Stillwater is 38, in Thief River Falls is 18, in Waconia is 24, in Wadena is 13, in Walker is 13, in Wayzata is 5, in White Bear Lake is 14, in Willmar is 45, in Winona is 19, in Woodbury is 95, in Wyoming is 57, and in Zimmerman is 12.

Minnesota has a population of 5,132,799, more than half of which is in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, also called the Twin Cities. Though St. Paul is the capital of Minnesota, Minneapolis is its largest city. Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” so summer water-based activities and winter ice fishing, skating, skiing and snowmobiling are popular in this state. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is located at Minnesota’s northern boundary. When in the Twin Cities, be sure to visit the nearby Mall of America in Bloomington; the most-visited shopping mall in the world.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Minnesota has a population of 5,132,799. Of this population, 1,189,370 are under the age of 18 and 621,336 are at or above the age of 65.