Years ago when you got sick, you would send out a message to the local doctor and he would come by to make a house call. These days, medical care is far more diverse, and sometimes, a little complicated. It can get a bit tricky when you have to go to the doctor and must decide between the numerous different practices near your location. How do you know which one to call when you need to be treated? The key is to get familiar with some of the different types of doctors and to understand the different types of medical practices. Here is a closer look at some of the different kinds of medical practices you may find in your location. 

Group Medical Practice

A group medical practice is perhaps one of the most common types of medical practices in the United States. These practices are directly owned by a group of medical care providers, such as two or three doctors. At a group practice, you may find different specialists working together in the same building, such as an orthopedic surgeon and an internal medicine doctor. It is often easier to get an appointment at these offices because there are multiple physicians available, and it is not at all uncommon for doctors to work together to provide care for one patient. 

Employed Physician Practice 

An employed physician practice is most often owned by larger organizations, such as a healthcare organization, medical group, or hospital. The organization employs one or more physicians to work in the office, and the doctor who is in the office may not be a permanent thing. One of the good things about employed physician practices is the fact that a larger entity oversees the operation of the office, which means the hours of operation will be highly reliable, certain standards of care can be expected, and it can be easier to get an appointment. 

Private Practice 

Private practices, which can also be referred to as a solo practice, are opened by a singular doctor. In all respects, the professional who opens this practice is self-employed and owns the entire practice, which means the doctor is in charge of finding the best staff members and can pretty much operate the business in whatever way they decide. Private practices are more likely to have more variant hours of operation than something like a group practice, which can be beneficial or make it harder to get in to see the doctor.