HOW TO GET THERE
Typical pathway
A typical Canadian pathway starts with high school courses in science, math, and English, followed by university study. Students usually complete an undergraduate degree, then apply to medical school and later a family medicine residency. During training, they gain classroom learning, clinical placements, and supervised patient-care experience in hospitals, clinics, and family practices. Some programs and training steps can vary by university, province, or specialty focus. Early volunteer work, shadowing, or health-care assistant experience can also help students learn about patient care and teamwork.
THE WORK
What you may do
Legacy 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
- Inoculate and vaccinate patients
- 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
- Co-ordinate 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.
SKILLS TO BUILD
Skills used in this Career
Community involvementCommittee workInterpersonal skillsMultidisciplinary teamworkBusiness and Financial Management