What is a Family Doctor / General Practitioner?

About Family Doctors / General Practitioners

What does a Family Doctor / General Practitioner do?

Family doctors, or General Practitioners, provide comprehensive, continuous care across every stage of life – from pediatric wellness visits to geriatric management. Unlike specialists, they treat the whole person rather than a single organ or system.

Their scope of practice typically includes:

• Preventive care: vaccinations, cancer screenings, health risk assessments

• Chronic disease management: diabetes, hypertension, asthma, thyroid conditions, and mental health

• Acute illness: infections, injuries, sudden-onset symptoms

• Mental health: first-line treatment for anxiety and depression, referrals to psychiatry or psychology

• Reproductive and sexual health: contraception, STI screening, prenatal care coordination

• Specialist referral coordination: connecting you to specialists, diagnostic imaging, and allied health professionals

In Canada and Australia, your family doctor also acts as a gatekeeper to publicly funded specialist care. In most provinces and territories, you cannot access a specialist, such as a cardiologist, dermatologist, or orthopedic surgeon, through the public system without a family doctor referral first.

How to Find a Family Doctor: Country-by-Country

Canada

Finding a family doctor in Canada can be challenging — approximately 6.5 million Canadians currently don't have a regular GP. Each province runs its own system, but there are consistent strategies that help.

Where to start:

• Ontario: Use Health Care Connect, a provincial registry that matches unattached patients with accepting providers. Walk-in clinics and nurse practitioners can provide interim care while you wait.

• British Columbia: The BC Health Connect Registry allows you to search for GPs accepting new patients. Some regions also use the provincial Health Connect Registry.

• Alberta: Use Alberta Health Services' Find a Doctor tool. Many clinics in Calgary and Edmonton post their availability directly.

• Quebec: The Guichet d'accès à la clientèle orpheline (GACO) registers patients without a family doctor. Your local CIUSSS can also help match you with a clinique de médecine familiale.

• Other provinces: Most provinces have a variant of a patient registry or a primary care navigator service. Check your provincial health authority's website directly.

• RateMDs: We have compiled a comprehensive list of resources on how to find a family doctor.

Practical tips for Canadians:

• Call clinics directly – many don't advertise on registries even when they're accepting patients.

• Consider family health teams or community health centres, which often accept patients who struggle to find individual family doctors.

• Nurse Practitioners (NPs) can provide most of the same primary care services as family doctors and frequently have shorter wait times.

United States

In the U.S., your choice of family doctor is largely shaped by your insurance plan's network.

• If you have employer-sponsored insurance or a marketplace plan, start with your insurer's provider directory to find in-network physicians.

• If you have Medicare, use the Medicare Physician Compare tool at medicare.gov.

• If you have Medicaid, contact your state's Medicaid office for a list of participating providers.

• If you're uninsured or underinsured, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) offer sliding-scale fees — find one at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.

When choosing, confirm whether the doctor is taking new patients, whether they're in-network, and what their telehealth options are.

Australia

Most Australians access family doctor care through Medicare-bulk-billed practices, where the cost is covered entirely by the government. However, not all clinics bulk bill, and out-of-pocket costs vary.

• Use healthdirect.gov.au to find family doctors near you and check bulk billing status.

• The MyMedicare program (launched 2023) formally registers Australians with a regular family doctors practice, enabling better continuity of care and after-hours support.

• In rural and remote areas, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and regional health networks provide family doctor services. Telehealth through Medicare is widely available for follow-up and mental health appointments.

What to expect at your first visit

A first appointment with a new family doctor is primarily about building a picture of your health – not just treating a single symptom.

Bring with you:

• A list of all current medications (including supplements and OTCs)

• Your vaccination record

• Relevant past medical records or specialist letters

• A list of questions or concerns you want to address

• Your provincial health card (Canada), insurance card (U.S.), or Medicare card (Australia)

What the appointment typically involves:

1. Health history review: your doctor will ask about past conditions, surgeries, allergies, family history, and lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol, exercise, diet)

2. Physical examination: blood pressure, heart rate, weight, and a focused exam based on your concerns

3. Preventive screening review: checking which age-appropriate tests you're due for

4. A care plan: prescriptions, referrals, lab work, or follow-up appointments as needed

Family doctor vs. Specialist: When do you need a referral?

Your family doctor manages the vast majority of health concerns directly. A referral to a specialist is typically needed when:

• A diagnosis requires specialized expertise or equipment (e.g., cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology)

• You need surgery or a procedure beyond the primary care scope

• A chronic condition isn't responding to first-line treatment

• Diagnostic testing points toward a complex or rare condition

In Canada and Australia, specialist referrals through the public system almost always require a family doctor letter. In the U.S., this depends on your insurance plan — HMOs typically require family doctor referrals, while PPOs usually allow self-referral to specialists.

How to Choose the Right Family Doctor

Not every family doctor is the right fit for every patient. Here's what to consider:

Practical factors:

• Is the clinic accepting new patients?

• Is the location convenient?

• What are the appointment availability and wait times like?

• Do they offer telehealth or after-hours access?

• Are they affiliated with a hospital or health network you prefer?

Clinical fit:

• Do they have experience with conditions relevant to you (e.g., managing chronic pain, working with LGBTQ+ patients, experience with geriatric care)?

• Do they practice in a group setting (better after-hours coverage) or solo?

• What's their approach to shared decision-making and involving patients in care plans?

Patient feedback: Online patient feedback can be useful for gauging communication style, wait times, and bedside manner, but treat them as one data point rather than the whole picture. Consistent themes across multiple reviews carry more weight than individual outliers.

Switching doctors: If a family doctor isn't the right fit, you're entitled to change providers. Ask your current clinic to transfer your records and, in Canada, update your provincial health registry.

A Note on Telehealth and Nurse Practitioners

If you don't yet have a family doctor, or your GP isn't available:

• Telehealth has expanded significantly across all three countries since 2020. Many routine consultations — prescription renewals, mental health check-ins, rash assessments — can be handled by video or phone.

• Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses with advanced training who can diagnose, prescribe, and manage most primary care conditions independently. In Canada particularly, NPs are an increasingly important part of solving the GP shortage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I find a family doctor accepting new patients? 

A: Use your province's or territory's patient registry (e.g., Health Care Connect in Ontario), call clinics directly, or check the RateMDs directory filtered by specilaty and "accepting new patients".

Q: What's the difference between a family doctor and a general practitioner? 

A: The terms are used interchangeably in most contexts. Both provide comprehensive primary care across all age groups. In some countries, "general practitioner" more often refers to a physician working in a community clinic setting, while "family doctor" implies a formal ongoing patient-physician relationship.

Q: Can I see a specialist without a family doctor referral? 

A: In Canada and Australia, specialist visits through the public system typically require a GP referral for coverage. In the U.S., it depends on your insurance plan. Private-pay specialist visits are available everywhere but come out of pocket.

Q: How often should I see my family doctor? 

A: At minimum, once a year for a general health check. More frequently if you're managing a chronic condition, are pregnant, or are over 65. Your doctor will advise on the right cadence for your situation.

Q: What if I can't afford a family doctor visit? 

A: In Canada and Australia, most family doctor visits are covered by provincial/territory health insurance and Medicare respectively. In the U.S., community health centres offer income-based sliding-scale fees. Search for FQHCs at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.

Q: Can I request a female (or male) doctor? 

A: Yes. Most clinics accommodate physician gender preferences where possible. You can filter by provider gender on our directory.

Q: What should I do if I disagree with my doctor's advice? 

A: Ask questions and request clarification. You're always entitled to a second opinion. A good family doctor will welcome the conversation and help you understand your options.

Q: How do I transfer my medical records to a new doctor? 

A: Request a records release from your previous clinic. In Canada, you're entitled to your own health records under provincial privacy legislation. Your new family doctor will typically coordinate this on your behalf with a signed release form.

Q: Does a family doctor treat children? 

A: Yes. Family medicine covers patients from birth through end of life. For complex pediatric conditions, they'll refer to a pediatrician or pediatric specialist as needed. Keep in mind that some family doctors may be more familiar with children than others. When in doubt, ask your doctor directly.