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General practitioner

Also called general medical practitioner

General practitioners promote health, prevent, identify ill health, diagnose and treat diseases and promote recovery of physical and mental illness and health disorders of all kinds for all persons regardless of their age, sex or type of health problem.

Will there be jobs?Yes, good prospectsShortage in 18 countries now. 37 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Health professionalsWhat does it pay?Well above averageFrom about €1,800 (Bulgaria) to €9,700 (Luxembourg) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Health professionalsWhat do I need to study?Usually a degree9 in 10 have a degree.Health professionalsWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Generalist medical practitioners · ILO

What you'd do

Generalist medical practitioners · ILO
  • Conducting physical examinations of patients and interviewing them and their families to determine their health status
  • Ordering laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures and analysing findings to determine the nature of disorders or illnesses
  • Providing continuing medical care for patients including prescribing, administering, counselling on and monitoring curative treatments and preventive measures
  • Performing surgery and other clinical procedures
  • Advising individuals, families and communities on health, nutrition and lifestyle which aid prevention or treatment of disease and disorders
  • Providing referrals to patients and families for specialized care in hospitals, rehabilitation centres or other types of health care centres
  • Identifying, managing and providing referrals for complications before, during and after childbirth
  • Recording patients' medical information and history and exchanging information with specialist practitioners and other health workers as required for continuing medical care
  • Reporting births, deaths and notifiable diseases to government authorities to meet legal and professional requirements
  • Conducting research in human health and medical services and disseminating the findings such as through scientific reports
  • Planning and participating in programmes designed to prevent the occurrence and spread of common diseases
Provide healthcare services to patients in general medical practiceAssess physical conditions of clientsMonitor children's physical developmentThink abstractlyInteract professionally in research and professional environments+ 5 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Constant contact with people, including the public
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines every day
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Family Medicine Physicians"

Will there be jobs?

Yes, good prospects

18 EU countries are short of generalist medical practitioners now, and many jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as health professionals in the EU
5.11m6.39m7.07m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
549,000 new jobs 1,888,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Health professionals37
All jobs29
Right now
18 of 27 countries report a shortage of generalist medical practitioners, 0 a surplus.
Generalist medical practitioners · EURES

What does it pay?

Well above average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,800 a month (Bulgaria) to €9,700 (Luxembourg), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among professionals in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Professionals · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Usually a degree

A degree is the usual route.

Highest qualification of health professionals (EU, 2025)
Degree 86%Vocational 12%General secondary 1%Basic schooling 1%

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.29 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 11 tasks
Conducting research in human health and medical services and disseminating the findings such as through scientific reports0.48
Reporting births, deaths and notifiable diseases to government authorities to meet legal and professional requirements0.37
Recording patients' medical information and history and exchanging information with specialist practitioners and other health workers as required for continuing medical care0.35
Planning and participating in programmes designed to prevent the occurrence and spread of common diseases0.31
Advising individuals, families and communities on health, nutrition and lifestyle which aid prevention or treatment of disease and disorders0.31
Providing referrals to patients and families for specialized care in hospitals, rehabilitation centres or other types of health care centres0.30
Ordering laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures and analysing findings to determine the nature of disorders or illnesses0.30
Identifying, managing and providing referrals for complications before, during and after childbirth0.22
Providing continuing medical care for patients including prescribing, administering, counselling on and monitoring curative treatments and preventive measures0.21
Conducting physical examinations of patients and interviewing them and their families to determine their health status0.15
Performing surgery and other clinical procedures0.13

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for generalist medical practitioners. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).