31102 – General practitioners and family physicians

Lead statement

General practitioners and family physicians diagnose and treat the diseases, physiological disorders and injuries of patients. They provide primary contact and continuous care toward the management of patients' health. Residents in training to be general practitioners or family physicians are included in this unit group.

Main duties

• Examine patients and take their histories, order laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures and consult with other medical practitioners to evaluate patients' physical and mental health
• Prescribe and administer medications and treatments
• Perform and assist in routine surgery
• Provide emergency care
• Provide acute care management
• Vaccinate patients to prevent and treat diseases
• Deliver babies and provide pre-natal and post-natal care
• Advise patients and their families on health care including health promotion, disease, illness and accident prevention
• Provide counselling and support to patients and their families on a wide range of health and lifestyle issues
• Perform patient advocacy role
• Coordinate or manage primary patient care
• Provide continuous care to patients
• Supervise home care services
• Report births, deaths, and contagious and other diseases to governmental authorities.

Employment requirements

• A bachelor's degree or in Quebec, completion of a college program and one year of pre-medicine university studies is usually required.
• Graduation from an approved medical school and two to three years of family medicine residency training are required.
• Completion of the qualifying examinations of the Medical Council of Canada or the Collège des médecins du Québec and licensing by the provincial or territorial licensing authority are required.

Example job titles

civil aviation medical officer · industrial physician · industrial medical officer · industrial medicine physician · family doctor · family practitioner · family physician · doctor of medicine (MD) · medical doctor · general practice physician · general practitioner (GP) · company physician · general practice intern · missionary doctor · medical missionary · intern · general practice resident · medical officer of health (MOH) · physician resident · resident · resident physician · primary care physician · community preventive medicine physician · public health physician · locum doctor · telemedicine family physician · medical officer - Canadian armed forces

Wages (per year)

Source: Job Bank wages, 2025 release (ESDC). Low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles.