Family Medicine
Profile
Updated
December 2019
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Table of Contents
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General Information
Total number & number/100,000 population by province, 2019
Number/100,000 population, 1995-2019
Number by gender & year, 1995-2019
Percentage by gender & age, 2019
Number by gender & age, 2019
Percentage by main work setting, 2019
Percentage by practice organization, 2017
Hours worked per week (excluding on-call), 2019
On-call duty hours per month, 2019
Percentage by remuneration method
Professional & work-life balance satisfaction, 2019
Number of retirees during the three year period of 2016-2018
Employment situation, 2017
Links to additional resources
Slide
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General information
Family medicine is the main primary care medical specialty in Canada. It focuses care on the individual
within the context of the family and the community. Family physicians (refers to both family physicians
and general practitioners) deliver services across the entire spectrum of care, regardless of patient
age, sex or condition. Public polls repeatedly confirm how highly the people of Canada value family
doctors for their roles in caring for them.
While family medicine may seem the most “general” of the specialties, it is in fact, a precise discipline,
integrating a unique blend of biomedical, behavioural and social sciences, while employing a diverse
range of cognitive and procedural skills.
Source: Pathway evaluation program
3
General information
The family physician is often called upon to deal with undifferentiated clinical problems presenting at an
early stage. In addition to acute disorders, which are sometimes life-threatening, there is a high
frequency of chronic diseases, emotional problems and transient illnesses.
Family physicians deliver care across a wide spectrum of settings, including their offices, hospital, longterm and other health care facilities and the patient’s home. The close, long-term physician-patient
relationship that is established, the diversity in the work and the variety of practice opportunities offered
by family medicine are some of the main factors that attract physicians to this specialty.
Family physicians also play an important role in health promotion and illness prevention, coordinating
care with other specialties and health professionals, and advocating on behalf of their patients with
respect to the care and services they need in all parts of the health care system.
Source: Pathway evaluation program
4
General information
Upon completion of medical school, to become certified in family medicine with the College of Family
Physicians of Canada (CFPC) requires an additional 2 years of postgraduate training. This includes
experiences in family practice settings; general surgery; internal medicine; pediatrics;
obstetrics/gynaecology; psychiatry and emergency medicine; as well as opportunities for electives in
areas selected by each resident. The training environment includes hospitals but is also very focused on
experiences in community-based practices, including opportunities in small town and rural settings.
While most residents are well prepared to enter practice after 2 years of postgraduate training, some with
specific needs or interests might benefit from additional or enhanced skills training and apply to a number
of positions available for an optional third year. Examples of such third year programs include emergency
medicine, palliative care, maternity care and care of elderly.
Source: Pathway evaluation program
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General information
The main objective of additional training is to prepare graduates to be able to offer added services to
patients as part of their broad-based or comprehensive continuing care family practices.
Following the completion of residency, there is a certification examination to evaluate competence in the
specialty of family medicine. If successful, the resident will be awarded Certification in The College of
Family Physicians of Canada (CCFP) that is then maintained throughout their career through
participation in the College’s life-long learning (continuing professional development) program.
For further details on training requirements please go to:
College of Family Physicians of Canada
Source: Pathway evaluation program
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Total number & number/100,000 population by province, 2019
Province/Territory
Physicians
Phys/100k pop'n
Newfoundland/Labrador
927
177
Prince Edward Island
174
112
Nova Scotia
1292
134
New Brunswick
1153
149
Quebec
10909
129
Ontario
14962
104
Manitoba
1519
112
Saskatchewan
1395
119
Alberta
5758
133
British Columbia
6366
127
Territories
129
104
CANADA
44584
119
Source: 2019 CMA Masterfile
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Number/100,000 population, 1995 to 2019
120
115
110
105
100
95
90
1995
1997
1999
Source: 1995-2019 CMA Masterfiles
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
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Number by gender & year, 1995 to 2019
50000
45000
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
Total
Source: 1995-2019 CMA Masterfiles
2005
2007
Males
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
Females
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Percentage by gender & age, 2019
Gender
Age Group
8%
17%
24%
47%
53%
30%
26%
Male
Female
65+
55 - 64
45 - 54
35 - 44
< 35
Excludes those where gender or age is unknown.
Source: 2019 CMA Masterfile
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Number by gender & age, 2019
65+
1806
55-64
4586
45-54
6359
5050
35-44
<35
5299
5419
5768
2790
4211
1566
Female
Includes General Practitioners and non-certified specialists
Excludes those where gender or age is unknown.
Source: 2019 CMA Masterfile
Male
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Percentage by main work setting, 2019
Private Office/Clinic
58%
Community Clinic/Health-centre
10%
Emergency Dept
7%
Community Hospital
7%
Other
5%
Academic Health Sciences Centre
4%
Free-standing Walk-in Clinic
3%
* Includes General Practitioners
Source: 2019 CMA Physician Workforce Survey. Canadian Medical Association
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Percentage by practice organization, 2017*
1%
19%
15%
Solo Practice
Group Practice
Interprofessional Practice
Hospital-based Practice
25%
39%
* Most recent available data for this specialty
* Includes General Practitioners and non-certified specialists
Source: 2017 CMA Workforce Survey. Canadian Medical Association
NR
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Hours worked per week (excluding on-call), 2019
Activity
Hours worked per week
Direct patient care without teaching component
27.6
Direct patient care with teaching component
4.0
Teaching without patient care
0.9
Indirect patient care
8.2
Health facility committees
0.6
Administration
2.0
Research
0.4
Managing practice
1.4
Continued professional development
2.4
Other
0.4
TOTAL HOURS PER WEEK
47.9
* Includes General Practitioners
Source: 2019 CMA Physician Workforce Survey. Canadian Medical Association
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On-call duty hours per month, 2019

63% provide on-call services
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On-call hours = 111 hours/month

On-call hours spent in direct patient care = 30
hours/month
* Includes General Practitioners
Source: 2019 CMA Workforce Survey. Canadian Medical Association
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Percentage by remuneration method
Primary payment method1 in 2017
1%
39%
Average gross payment per physician for Family
Medicine in 2017/18 (those earning at least $60,000)
= $308,3172
44%
Average percent overhead reported in 2017 = 27%3
11%
5%
90% + fee-for-service
90% + other*
NR
90% + salary
Blended
*Other includes capitation, sessional, contract and other methods
2017 CMA Workforce Survey. Canadian Medical Association
National Physician Database, 2017/18, CIHI
3 2017 CMA Workforce Survey. Canadian Medical Association
1
2
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Professional & work-life balance satisfaction, 2019
Balance of personal
& professional
commitments
Current
professional life
NR
30%
13%
22%
48%
16%
Dissatisfied or very dissatisfied
71%
Neutral
Satisfied or very satisfied
* Includes General Practitioners
Source: 2019 CMA Physician Workforce Survey. Canadian Medical Association
17
Number of retirees during the three year period of 2016-2018
Male
Female
1118
938
512
276
152 172
1
13
34 and Under
6
25
35-44
16
23
45-54
5
55-64
65 and over
3
Unknown
Total
Age Group
Source: CMA Masterfile – year over year comparisons
Note: “Retired” is based on giving up licence and therefore excludes those who have retired from clinical practice but
are still licensed; those younger than 45 may include physicians who have temporarily given up their licence but
return to practice at a later date.
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Employment situation, 2017
3% 1%
1%
34%
Overworked in my discipline
Employed in my discipline to my satisfaction
Underemployed in my discipline
Not employed in my discipline
No response
61%
Source: 2017 CMA Workforce Survey. Canadian Medical Association
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Links to additional resources

Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada
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Canadian Institute for Health Information
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Canadian Medical Association’s Physician Data Centre
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Canadian Post-MD Education Registry (CAPER)
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College of Family Physicians of Canada
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National Physician Survey (2004-2014)
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Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
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