Job File: General Practitioner

Welcome to this job description for general practitioners! Here you'll find all the information you need to know about this profession, from educational requirements to the skills you'll need. Here's an overview of this leading profession in the healthcare sector.

What is a general practitioner?

The general practitioner is probably the doctor most familiar to the general public, as he or she is the first point of contact for sick citizens. As the cornerstone of the system, they provide primary care to a varied population of all ages, sexes and conditions. Their primary mission is to provide comprehensive care, treating common illnesses, carrying out preventive examinations and referring patients to specialists when this is beyond their remit.

Training and career paths to become a general practitioner

Before applying for a job as a general practitioner, you'll need to complete one of the longest and most challenging academic paths available. This seriosity ensures that the best possible doctors are trained. As in most medical specialties, mistakes must be kept to a minimum, and GPs must be able to adapt to any situation they are presented with. Having defined his or her mission, let's now look at how to become a GP.

To enter the jungle of secondary education, the aspirant must first obtain a general scientific baccalaureate. While other school diplomas can lead to general medical studies, the scientific stream provides the required foundations. Once this first stage has been completed, the student can move on to the Parcours Accès Santé Spécifique (PASS) or the Licence avec Accès Santé (L.AS). One year later, and subject to success, they can enter the two years of general medical studies common to all specialties. At the end of the curriculum, they will sit the final externship exams (EDN and ECOS), the results of which will give them the opportunity to choose their specialty (in order of priority according to ranking). Once they have embarked on their specialization in general medicine, they will have a further 3 years of study under the internship system, enabling them to tackle all aspects of this profession in detail and apply them within French healthcare structures.

If you'd like to find out more, take a look at our general practitioner study sheet!

What's more, while general medicine is a specialty in its own right, some GPs choose to overspecialize in specific areas such as pediatrics, geriatrics, sports medicine or emergency medicine, enabling them to respond to the population's specific needs.

Roles and responsibilities of the general practitioner

The GP's roles and responsibilities are varied and cover many aspects of patient health:

• Diagnosis and treatment: diagnosing and treating a wide range of common illnesses and conditions.
• Chronic disease management: monitoring patients suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension or asthma.
• Prevention and advice: provides advice on prevention, vaccination and healthy living.
• Care coordination: coordinates care with other health professionals, referring patients to specialists when necessary.

Working environment and daily practice of a general practitioner

Different workplaces

Depending on their status, GPs work in a variety of settings, including..:

• Private practice: as part of a self-employed collaboration or a self-employed status, GPs occupy premises that they manage as they see fit. They can also use the equipment of their choice, and are free to set their own fees in line with the regulations of the sector's agreements.
• Health centers: health centers offer multidisciplinary working environments where GPs collaborate with other health professionals such as nurses, physiotherapists or psychologists. This ensures comprehensive patient care and smoother care coordination.
• Hospitals: GPs can work in hospital outpatient departments or emergency wards. They may be salaried, offering job stability and access to a multidisciplinary healthcare team. Working in a hospital also enables them to manage more complex cases and interact with specialists.
• Teleconsultation : this digitalized practice has become increasingly popular in recent years, not least because of the Covid-19 pandemic. GPs can treat even the most benign cases quickly and easily, and prescribe appropriate treatments. What's more, they can reach isolated populations or those unable to travel easily.

Tools and technologies used in general practice

To auscultate and prescribe the most appropriate treatments, GPs use a wide range of tools, from stethoscopes to blood pressure meters and laboratory testing equipment. What's more, digital technologies such as electronic medical record management software have become indispensable to ensure efficient and secure patient follow-up.

Key skills and qualities required of a general practitioner

As well as mastering the full range of diagnostic, medical and procedural skills, GPs need to be empathetic, good listeners, good communicators, patient and caring. They must also be able to adapt to different patients and environments, and have good organizational skills.

Career opportunities and prospects for a general practitioner

The profession of general practitioner offers many career opportunities. In addition to private practice, GPs can move into teaching, research or positions of responsibility in healthcare organizations.

Salary of a general practitioner

Salary scale and influencing factors

Generally speaking, GPs enjoy a comfortable income, thanks to the many years of study required for their practice. However, remuneration data vary according to the following factors:

• Experience: as in all professions, GPs at the start of their careers earn lower salaries. As they gain experience and build up a loyal patient base, their salaries will automatically increase.
• Geographical location: when setting up a practice, there are a number of criteria to take into account that will influence income. These include the standard of living of the local population, the prices charged by other practitioners, and population density.
• Practice environment: the environment in which a GP works inevitably affects his or her income. For example, a GP working in a private practice will earn more than a salaried GP.

If you'd like to find out more about the average remuneration for this specialist, take a look at our GP salary sheet!

Salary comparisons by region

In France, GP salaries vary from region to region. They are influenced by factors such as population density, standard of living, competition and demand for general medical services.

The regions where GPs enjoy the highest salaries are the most densely populated, as they offer a steady flow of patients. However, the level of competition can be higher, particularly in large conurbations. Finally, within the same city, people's standard of living can vary from one neighborhood to another, further modifying these data.

The regions with the highest average GPsalaries:

• Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
• Île-de-France
• Nouvelle-Aquitaine
• Occitanie
• Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Regions with the lowestaverage GPsalaries:

• Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
• Centre-Val de Loire
• Corse
• Normandie

In conclusion, the profession of general practitioner is a demanding and rewarding medical specialty that combines technical skills, scientific knowledge and interpersonal skills. GPs play a crucial role in improving and monitoring patients' health. Thanks to technological advances and new treatment methods, this field offers increasingly effective solutions. Those who choose this career embark on a long but fulfilling training course.