title: The joy of family practice.
abstract: Many family physicians have written about how they influence, nurture, and empower people in their communities of practice. In this essay, the author writes of the personal joys that family medicine has brought him. An expression of his appreciation for his work as a family doctor, it touches on 6 themes that continue to rejuvenate his practice: love, faith, mystery, place, dance, and medicine. By examining the emotional and psychological dimensions of these themes, he offers a path by which other family physicians may be able to find sustenance and joy in their daily work.
authors.affiliation: Master's Program in Public Health, University of El Salvador School of Medicine, San Salvador, El Salvador. wventres@gmail.com
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ventres
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D010819:Physician's Role; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology