Job description Physician, Primary Care in Canada

Find out what work is like for a physician, primary care in Canada. This work description is applicable to all General practitioners and family physicians (NOC 31102).

General practitioners and family physicians

Description

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. They usually work in private practice, including group or team practices, hospitals and clinics. Residents in training to be general practitioners or family physicians are included in this unit group.

Work week duration

General practitioners and family physicians usually work more than 40 hours per week.
More than 40 hours

Job duties

Here are some of the main activities and tasks that General practitioners and family physicians have to perform, and some of the physical demands they involve:

  • 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.

Physical demands Help - Physical Demands

  • Standing
  • Sitting

Physical demands

Physical demands are the physical activities that the job requires the worker to do. Physical demands are selected according to the likeliness that workers will have to perform them for at least half of the time they spend at work.

Workplaces and employers

Here are the typical workplaces where General practitioners and family physicians are employed and some of their main characteristics:

  • Hospitals
  • Private practice
  • Clinics

Work environment Help - Physical Work Environment

  • Indoors, environmentally controlled
  • Biological agents

Physical proximity from others Help - Physical proximity from others

  • Physically touching or very close

Work environment

The work environment refers to the physical setting in which people work. The characteristics and conditions of the work environment are selected according to the likeliness that workers will be exposed to them at least once a week.

Physical proximity from others

Physical proximity from others refers to the physical distance between individuals in the workplace. The likeliness that the job requires to perform tasks while being physically close to other people is rated on a scale with 3 levels: "Somewhat close", "Close" and "Very close".

Related job titles

Here are some other related job titles that are found in the same occupational category (NOC 31102), and a list of similar occupations:

  • family physician
  • general practice resident
  • general practitioner (GP)
  • medical doctor

Similar occupations Help - Similar occupations

Similar occupations

This section lists other occupations that are part of the same broad occupational category as General practitioners and family physicians in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). These occupations involve similar core qualifications but involve different responsibilities. To see more similar occupations, use the Job Transition Tool.

Sources Occupational and Skills Information System & National Occupational Classification

Labour Market Information Survey
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