As a medical student, do you ever wonder what it’s like to specialize in family medicine? Meet Jennifer Bryan, MD, a family physician and a featured doctor in the AMA’s “Shadow Me” Specialty Series, which offers advice directly from physicians about life in their specialties. Check out her insights to help determine whether a career in family medicine might be a good fit for you.
The AMA Specialty Guide simplifies medical students’ specialty selection process, highlights major specialties, details training information, and provides access to related association information. It is produced by FREIDA™, the AMA Residency & Fellowship Database®.
Learn more with the AMA about the medical specialty of family medicine.
“Shadowing” Dr. Jennifer Bryan
Specialty: Family medicine.
Practice setting: Group practice.
Employment type: Employed by Hattiesburg Clinic in Flowood, Mississippi. Hattiesburg Clinic is a member of the AMA Health System Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
Years in practice: 17.
A typical day and week in my practice: A typical day involves seeing patients in a busy outpatient clinic setting. My morning begins with reviewing lab results and preparing for the day’s schedule, followed by a mix of acute visits, chronic disease management and preventive care. I spend time counseling patients and addressing their concerns, collaborating with a care team and staying updated on medical advancements to provide high-quality care.
I typically work 45–50 hours a week, spread across patient care, administrative duties and leadership responsibilities. Balancing clinical practice with my role as president of the Mississippi State Medical Association involves evening meetings and advocacy work.
The most challenging and rewarding aspects of family medicine: The most challenging aspect is managing patients with complex medical and social needs, especially when systemic barriers limit access to care or resources.
The ability to form long-term relationships with patients and families—witnessing their progress and well-being over time—is deeply rewarding.
The impact burnout has on family medicine: Burnout is a significant issue in family medicine due to administrative burdens, the complexity of care and limited time with patients. Many physicians struggle to maintain a balance between their professional and personal lives.
How Hattiesburg Clinic is reducing physician burnout: Hattiesburg Clinic prioritizes reducing burnout by streamlining workflows, offering mental health resources and investing in technology, such as telemedicine and AI documentation support, to ease burdens. Regular wellness initiatives, including physician dinners and social events, are also helpful.
How my lifestyle matches, or differs from, what I had envisioned: My lifestyle is close to what I envisioned, though the administrative workload is greater than I expected. Balancing leadership roles with patient care and family life has been a challenge, but I’m proud of the integration I’ve achieved. Raising children while maintaining an active clinical and advocacy role has required strong time-management skills and also support from my family.
Skills every physician in training should have for family medicine but won’t be tested for on the board exam:
- Empathy and communication: These are essential for building trust with patients.
- Adaptability: Family medicine involves addressing diverse needs across all age groups and conditions.
- Advocacy: Physicians need to navigate systems to connect patients with resources.
One question physicians in training should ask themselves before pursuing family medicine: Am I passionate about building long-term relationships and addressing a wide spectrum of medical conditions across all stages of life?
Books, podcasts or other resources every medical student interested in family medicine should be reading:
- American Family Physician, the journal published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
- Something fun! Read your favorite nonmedical novel or listen to a podcast in an area that interests you outside of medicine. It’s important to have outside interests.
Additional advice I would give to students who are considering family medicine: Family medicine is the cornerstone of health care, offering a unique opportunity to impact individual lives and entire communities. Choose this path if you want a career rooted in relationships and continuity of care. Be prepared for its challenges but know that the rewards far outweigh them.
