Family practice vs general practitioner in Canada?

[Healthinfo103]

I know in the states a GP and FP are two different things... GP requires a one year internship and then licensure, and a FP is treated as a specialty and requires residency.

In Canada it looks as though both of these terms are used interchangeably. Can anyone explain?

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[Healthinfo103]

Anyone?

 

[wong2689]

In Canada, we used both terms interchangeably. All GP/FP needs 2 years residency training.

 

[FlameBroiledDoc]

Prior to the 1990s, there was a general license after internship. You could either open/join a family practice or work for a few years then return for specialty training. Some doctors opted for the two year family medicine residency for whatever reason (academia, fam med subspecialty interests), but it wasn't mandatory.

That changed in 1991. The general license was done away with, and trainees had to choose their specialty in medical school. Everybody now does two years of family medicine or goes straight into a Royal College (i.e. specialty) program. There's been talk of three years' residency for family medicine, which would be a terrible decision on many levels. But yes, we still use the terms GP and FP/FD interchangeably.