A primary care doctor, or primary care physician (PCP), is usually a general practitioner who provides both first contact and continuing care for individuals with significant health concerns. As such, PCPs are trained in preventing, diagnosing, and treating a broad range of conditions, illnesses, and injuries. The qualifications of a primary care doctor include a four-year bachelor’s degree, four years of medical school to receive an MD, as well as a residency that takes three to seven years to complete. After the residency, some physicians complete a fellowship or take a rigorous exam to become board-certified. At Medical Office of Katy, our medical director is board-certified in Internal medicine, and has extensive education, experience, and training in providing primary care to a multitude of patients!

Primary care functions as the central administrator of all your healthcare needs! As such, whether you or someone in your family needs a prescription, a referral, general medical advice, or treatment for any chronic condition or illness, you should get in touch with a primary care physician who can facilitate any of your medical needs. Primary care officially involves diagnosing and treating chronic illnesses, disease prevention, health maintenance and promotion, patient education, and general counseling of patients for health-related concerns. Primary care specialties can include any of the following medical fields:

• Family medicine
• Internal medicine
• Pediatrics
• Combined internal medicine and pediatric doctors (med/peds)
• Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN)

Even if you feel great about your health, it is a good idea to see your primary care doctor at least once every year, especially if you are over 50 years old. Regular visits to your primary care doctor can not only help with any illnesses or conditions that you are dealing with in the present, but such visits can also help prevent future medical issues or address any problems before they develop into something more serious.

Besides your annual check-ups, you should go to your primary care doctor for any medical concern that is not an emergency. As such, if you are experiencing any of the following or require any of the following services, you should see your primary care doctor:

• Abdominal pain
• ADD or ADHD
• Allergies and minor allergic reactions
• Anxiety and depression, as well as referrals for counseling
• Arthritis, as well as physical therapy referrals
• Asthma or other respiratory issues
• Back pain
• Bad cold or flu
• Birth control
• Camp, sports, and school physicals
• Concussion
• Diabetes
• Diarrhea or vomiting
• Drug testing
• Ear infections
• Fever or severe headaches
• Gout
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Laboratory testing
• Pediatric services
• Pre-employment physicals
• Pre-surgical clearance
• Prescription medications
• Rashes and skin conditions, as well as referrals for a dermatologist
• Routine physicals
• Sick note
• Sinus infections
• Specialist referral
• Travel medicine
• Warts
• Worker’s compensation
 
If you are hoping to get set up with a primary care doctor in Katy, TX, we would love to take you on as a client at Medical Office of Katy! We serve patients from Katy TX, Park Row TX, Cinco Ranch TX, Brookshire TX, Pittsville TX and Mission Bend TX.