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. Illinois has 4,784 practicing family doctors. Broken out by city, family practice doctor density in Altamont is 4, in Alton is 25, in Aurora is 94, in Batavia is 12, in Belleville is 94, in Belvidere is 30, in Berwyn is 62, in Bloomington is 83, in Blue Island is 12, in Breese is 4, in Calumet City is 17, in Canton is 17, in Carbondale is 48, in Carterville is 6, in Centralia is 11, in Champaign is 70, in Chicago is 1,289, in Chicago Heights is 40, in Cicero is 20, in Clinton is 12, in Columbia is 6, in Crystal Lake is 22, in Danville is 65, in Decatur is 76, in Des Plaines is 55, in Dixon is 16, in East Moline is 21, in Edwardsville is 14, in Effingham is 25, in Elgin is 48, in Elmhurst is 23, in Elmwood is 1, in Eureka is 21, in Evanston is 26, in Fairbury is 17, in Freeport is 22, in Galesburg is 30, in Geneva is 26, in Granite City is 14, in Harvard is 13, in Herrin is 20, in Highland is 6, in Highland Park is 11, in Jacksonville is 11, in Joliet is 55, in Kankakee is 17, in Kewanee is 7, in Lincoln is 12, in Lockport is 2, in Loves Park is 15, in Macomb is 12, in Marion is 20, in Mattoon is 24, in Moline is 57, in Morris is 11, in Mount Carroll is 2, in Mount Vernon is 24, in Murphysboro is 17, in Naperville is 93, in Newton is 1, in Normal is 48, in North Chicago is 9, in Oregon is 4, in Ottawa is 9, in Palos Heights is 16, in Park Ridge is 49, in Pekin is 31, in Peoria is 127, in Peru is 4, in Polo is 3, in Pontiac is 17, in Princeton is 6, in Quincy is 61, in Robinson is 7, in Rochelle is 13, in Rock Island is 11, in Rockford is 159, in Rolling Meadows is 7, in Salem is 13, in Sandwich is 11, in Silvis is 20, in Springfield is 138, in Sterling is 18, in Sullivan is 6, in Sycamore is 11, in Toulon is 2, in Troy is 6, in Urbana is 76, in Vandalia is 8, in Warrenville is 11, in Washington is 20, in Waterloo is 5, in Watseka is 6, in Waukegan is 21, in West Frankfort is 17, in Wheaton is 65, in Wood Dale is 7, in Woodstock is 20, in Yorkville is 12, and in Zion is 9.

Most people think that Chicago, because of its size and popularity, is Illinois’ capital city, but that distinction belongs to Springfield, home of the Abraham Lincoln Museum. Illinois has hundreds of museums, numerous yearly art and ethnic festivals, a lakeshore bordering Lake Michigan, and the many national forests and parks that offers visitors camping, horseback riding, biking, kayaking, and fishing. Chicago is home to the Sears Tower, the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, and other cultural opportunities and restaurants in the Navy Pier area.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Illinois has a population of 12,763,371. Of this population, 3,172,677 are under the age of 18 and 1,523,937 are at or above the age of 65.