Jump to content
Premed 101 Forums

Specialists practising as GPs?


Recommended Posts

if you are a specialist, can you practise as a GP? i went to a walk-in clinic a while ago and the doctor that saw me did her residency in internal medicine. apparently she found internal stressful and joined a clinic to do family instead. do you have to re-do residency or something to do this? in this case, what is there to prevent specialists from practising as GPs? perhaps someone can enlighten...thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The requirements vary from province to province.

 

The term GP's is outdated. The College of Family Physicians established Family Medicine as its own independent specialty in the mid-90's. Before then, there was a year of "rotating internship" after medical school during residency training. After completion of that year, doctors could choose to continue training or to practice as a GP.

 

When FM was established and the rotating internship abolished in the mid-90's, those that trained up to that point were "grandfathered" and given the opportunity to qualify for the CCFP exam to be family doctors without additional training. But, since then, everyone else has needed to complete the full 2-year residency.

 

But, there are provincial rules that allow some doctors to practice as "GPs" without a FM license (e.g. in BC) as long as the physician has completed med school, and the LMCC. This is not true in Alberta, for example.

 

I'm in an Internal Medicine residency and I know that our residency is not interchangeable for a FM one. IM doctors are not given the ability to practice in FM without additional training (as our core training does not include areas such as pediatrics, obsgyn, psych, and surgery). I suspect that in the example you gave, the doctor might be working in a province like BC, or may have done an extra amount of training after IM, or may have graduated before the mid-90's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey,

 

At UWO, if you transfer into the FM program from a specialty, no matter which one and how many years' experience you have, the most credit you'll be given is 6 months (out of a 2-year program).

In general, you cannot go out and practice as a GP or whatever you want to call it unless you have fulfilled specific provinice-specific requirements and qualifications to earn a general license. The mere completion of a specialty residency does not qualify one to practice as a GP since most residency programs don't qualify you for a general license, although some do. You'll have to look up the specific requirements for your province and then tailor your residency elective choices to fulfill said requirements if you are looking to practice as a GP/whatever after you've finished your specialty residency.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

does anyone know what the requirements are in ontario for the above situation or where to find this information? thanks.

Hi there,

 

Probably the best resource would be the College of Family Physicians of Canada. You could have a look at their website or give them a shout directly.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...