Family Medicine in Canada

Remember the stereotypical family doctor of yore who actually made house calls carrying his trusty old black bag everywhere he went? While the days of house calls are all but over in present times, the fact remains that it is still important for you to have a family doctor.

Family doctors today are more commonly referred to as either family practitioners, general practitioners or family physicians. Just as Ophthalmologists, Cardiologists and Oncologists have their own distinct specialties; family doctors specialize in family medicine.




Some of the benefits of family practice include the following:

A Family doctor has prior knowledge of the family and is aware of family traits and illnesses

Medical science has proven time and again that some illnesses are undoubtedly genetic and passed down from one generation to the next. It would definitely give you a huge medical advantage to go to a family doctor who is aware of the presence or absence of this risk factor for you and your family. If you were to go to a clinic, you would most likely see a different physician every time you have something wrong and you'd have to start from the beginning all over again; wasting precious time that could be spent treating you.


A specialist is an expert in any one field of specialty medicine and this is great if you have a specific problem that needs to be addressed. However, a specialist will not be familiar with your history or your family medical history, which can play a big role in an early diagnosis and successful treatment. While you may need to go to a specialist once in a while, it is always better to get referred to the specialist by your family doctor.

A Family doctor is aware of you're Allergies and how you react to medications
Because your family doctor has treated you as well as other members of the family, he or she may be more intuitive when it comes to what medications you can tolerate and what you cannot. If even one family member has an allergy to any medication, say penicillin and your family doctor treats another member of the family, the doctor may not prescribe the penicillin because of this allergy. At least they will aware of the condition.

A family doctor has a lot of experience with different ailments
Instead of a specialist, who treats only one specific part of the body, a family doctor treats almost every type of ailment and injury. The family doctor is the first person that a sick or injured person goes to see. While you may wish to be referred to a specialty doctor for some cases, in most cases, the family doctor himself can handle the problem and be faster at it too. And because the family practitioner is so used to treating a variety of different medical problems and sees so many symptoms, he or she is very well rounded when it comes to treating all matters of health.

You are more likely to confide problems to your family doctor
You establish trust with a doctor who you see all of the time. He or she may not be an expert in any one particular area, but they are an expert on you. After all, they have treated you for all of your ailments. They also may even know some of the personal aspects of your life. If you confide in them regarding personal problems, they may help you see that some of your physical problems are related to stress.


Because you have established trust with your family doctor, you may be more inclined to discuss any health problems with them more than you would a doctor who you are seeing for the first time. This could sometimes end up saving your life if you tell your doctor about something that is bothering you and it turns out to be the symptoms of something serious.


In the United States, there have been unions for nearly 75 years that have protected the interests of workers. In countries like Japan, management techniques are far different and there is more emphasis placed on keeping the individual employee not only happy but healthy. It costs a company a lot of money to replace an employee who is not happy and productive with their job and each year, corporations lose billions of dollars with regard to people calling in sick.


Everyone should have a family doctor. While children often go to pediatricians until they are young adults and older people often go to doctors who are specialists in geriatric medicine, for everyone in between there is the family doctor.


If you have a family doctor, you can take a lot of guesswork out of your medical treatment. Your family physician can treat you for a variety of different conditions and, if needed, send you to a specialist.






What about finding a Family Doctor in your City?
To find a list of family physicians across Canada visit the links below.