Family medicine is a medical specialty that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body. The specialist, who is usually a primary care physician, is called a family physician. In certain countries family medicine is synonymous with general practice (with those who practice known as a general practitioner), though in other countries, this is a distinct field than Family medicine. Historically, the role of Family doctors was once performed by any doctor with qualifications from a medical school and who worked in the community. However, since the 1950s, family medicine has become a specialty in its own right, with specific training requirements tailored to each country. The names of the specialty emphasize its holistic nature and/or its roots in the family. It is based on knowledge of the patient in the context of the family and the community, focusing on disease prevention and health promotion. According to the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), the aim of family medicine is "promoting personal, comprehensive and continuing care for the individual in the context of the family and the community". The issues of values underlying this practice are usually known as primary care ethics.

Family physicians in the United States must hold either an M.D. or a D.O. degree. Physicians who specialize in family medicine must successfully complete an accredited three or four year long family medicine residency in the United States in addition to their medical degree. They are then eligible to sit for a board certification examination, which is now required by most hospitals and health plans. American Board of Family Medicine requires its diplomates to maintain certification through an ongoing process of continuing medical education, medical knowledge review, patient care oversight through chart audits, practice-based learning through quality improvement projects and retaking the board certification examination every 5 to 10 years. The American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians requires its diplomates to maintain certification and undergo the process of recertification every 8 years.

Physicians are certified in family medicine in Canada through the College of Family Physicians of Canada after completion of two years of family medicine residency, among other requirements. Continuing education is also a requirement for maintenance of certification.

The term "family medicine" or "family physician" is used in the United States, Mexico, South America, many European and Asian countries. In Sweden, certification in family medicine requires five years working with a tutor, after the medical degree. In India, those who want to specialize in family medicine must complete a three-year family medicine residency, after their medical degree (MBBS). They are awarded either a D.N.B. or an M.D. in family medicine. Similar systems exist in other countries.

In the United States, family medicine physicians are certified under the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) or American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians (ABOFM), while general practitioners are certified under the American Board of General Practice (ABGP). In contrast, General practice is used synonymously with Family medicine in many other nations, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Such services are provided by general practitioners. The term primary care in the UK may also include services provided by community pharmacy, optometrist, dental surgery and community hearing care providers. The balance of care between primary care and secondary care - which usually refers to hospital-based services - varies from place to place, and with time.

In many countries there are initiatives to move services out of hospitals into the community, in the expectation that this will save money and be more convenient.

Family physicians deliver a range of acute, chronic, and preventive medical care services. In addition to diagnosing and treating illness, they also provide preventive care, including routine checkups, health-risk assessments, immunization and screening tests, and personalized counselling on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Family physicians also manage chronic illness, often coordinating care provided by other sub-specialists. Family doctors also practice safety-netting, which involves follow-up assessments for uncertain diagnoses associated with symptoms that could be innocuous, but may also be a sign of serious illness. Many American Family Physicians deliver babies and provide prenatal care. In the U.S., family physicians treat more patients with back pain than any other physician sub-specialist, and about as many as orthopedists and neurosurgeons combined.

Family medicine and family physicians play a vital role in the healthcare system of a country. In the U.S. for example, nearly one in four of all office visits are made to family physicians. That is 208 million office visits each year — nearly 83 million more than the next largest medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America's underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty.