Best Primary Care Physicians Near Me in Sheridan, WY | WebMD (2024)

FAQs

What doctor is best for primary care? ›

Internal medicine doctors

Why choose an internal medicine doctor for primary care? Internal medicine doctors are experts at balancing an adult's regular preventive care needs with specialized care needs. They are well versed in conditions that can pop up in adulthood, like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

While PCPs have broad knowledge, specialists focus on the management of specific conditions and/or body systems. They work with your PCP to provide care based on their respective specialties.

With more than 700 primary care and specialty physicians in more than 100 locations, DuPage Medical Group grew to handle upwards of 2 million patient visits annually, treating about a third of DuPage County's population.

It's necessary to visit a primary care doctor for persistent illnesses or for close monitoring of a pre-existing condition. While a nurse practitioner can handle these issues, your primary care doctor may be more adept at analyzing your entire medical history to troubleshoot issues and create a treatment plan.

MDs tend to focus on diagnosing and treating one part of the body. DOs tend to think about how different parts of the body work together. For example, they might think about how skeletal conditions could affect your muscles.

If you already have a specialist who is treating you for a problem related to their specialty, start with your specialist. But if you don't currently have a specialist, your first stop should be with your primary care physician, who has been trained to diagnose complex conditions.

If you have a specific medical condition that requires treatment, you should see a specialist. For example, if you have heart disease, you would see a cardiologist. If you have a chronic pain issue, you may see a pain specialist.

Specialists have advanced education and training in specific areas of medicine, and should have access to sophisticated diagnostic tests and treatments. There are over 120 medical specialties and subspecialties(opens in new window), and the doctors in these fields stay on top of the latest developments.

A primary care provider (PCP) is a health care practitioner who sees people that have common medical problems. This person is most often a doctor. However, a PCP may be a physician assistant or a nurse practitioner.

What is a primary care physician best described as? ›

A primary care physician is a specialist in family medicine, general internal medicine or general pediatrics who provides definitive care to the undifferentiated patient at the point of first contact, and takes continuing responsibility for providing the patient's comprehensive care.

Family physicians are trained to diagnose and treat an entire spectrum of medical issues for patients of all ages. “Family physicians have a broader scope,” Dr. Doggett explains.