General Physician
Also known as: General Practitioner · Family Physician · GP
Diagnoses and treats common illnesses and refers patients to specialists when needed.
What you’d do
A doctor who diagnoses and treats common illnesses, manages long-term conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, and refers patients to specialists when needed. General physicians work in government health centres and hospitals, private clinics and hospitals, and in their own practice. With an MBBS, doctors work as general practitioners or medical officers; hospital "physician" posts usually mean an MD in General Medicine.
- Examines patients and takes history
- Prescribes treatment and medicines
- Orders and reads basic tests
- Refers complex cases to specialists
How you get in
Entry is through NEET-UG for an MBBS seat, followed by the internship and registration with the NMC or a State Medical Council. After that, a doctor can work as a medical officer or general practitioner. A national exit test (NExT) has been proposed as a common final-year and licensing exam; its rollout timeline has changed more than once.
Salary in India
Fresher salary over the years
middle of the 0–1 yr range, ₹ lakh a year
Fewer than two years of fresher data so far — the trend shows once there are two.
Skills you’ll use
From our guide · a curated list is coming
- Clinical history-taking and examination
- Diagnosis and prescribing
- Managing chronic diseases
- Recognising when to refer
- Communicating with patients and families
About this field · for freshers
Job openings by year
Is demand growing?
Not added yet.
Competition4
How many graduates enter each year?
MBBS graduates in 2023-24 at institutions that reported to AISHE — everyone finishing that degree, not only those entering this role.
Who hires
IT firms, banks, government, startups?
Not added yet.
Where the jobs are
Which cities?
Not added yet.
Women in the field4
Is it diverse?
Share of women among MBBS graduates in 2023-24 — the entry degree, not people already working in this role.
At a glance
- Many doctors go on to a postgraduate degree (MD, MS or DNB) through NEET-PG.
- Government service, including rural postings, is a common first job.
- Long hours and night duties are common in the early years.
Stay safe
No legitimate employer ever asks you to pay to get a job.