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Become a GP: discover the job and its training before you commit
Discover the job before you commit: ten years of study, daily life in the practice, residency, setting up, medical deserts and what AI changes.
- 13 five-minute lessons
- 3 levels
- 13-page PDF guide
- English & French
- Certificate of completion
Why a GP stays essential in the age of AI
- Examining a patient takes hands, eyes and being in the room.
- The hidden reason for a visit only comes out through listening and trust built over years.
- Diagnosing, prescribing and breaking bad news carry a registered doctor's responsibility.
Is it for you? Five signs
- You enjoy listening to people.
- You are ready to study for ten years.
- You stay calm when plans change.
- You like following people over time.
- You enjoy working with other carers.
Not sure yet? That's what the €6.90 guide is for. Refund within 14 days if it isn't you.
Thinking about a career change? Read our complete career change guide →
A typical day
- 8 am: the practice opens; overnight lab results and messages from the secretary come first.
- 8:30 am: booked consultations, a patient every fifteen to twenty minutes, from toddlers to the very old.
- 12:30 pm: a call from a community nurse about a housebound patient, then a referral letter to a cardiologist.
- 2 pm: slots kept free for same-day requests, snapped up as soon as the phone line opens.
- 4 pm: home visits and a stop at the nearby care home to see two residents.
- 6:30 pm: case meeting at the health centre with the physio, the pharmacist and the advanced practice nurse.
- 7:30 pm: records, certificates and planning tomorrow before closing up.
How to become a GP
In France, general practice is a regulated profession: you need the state degree of doctor of medicine and registration with the French Medical Council. The path starts with a PASS year or a LAS degree, then admission to the 2nd year, three years as a hospital student, the national EDN and ECOS exams, and four years of general practice residency, the last one as a junior doctor since November 2026. Allow at least ten years. There is no age limit and some bridging routes exist for graduates, but a career change needs a solid funding plan. In English-speaking countries too, GPs complete a medical degree and then supervised specialty training. The G-Learn trial lets you discover the job in a few hours before you commit: it gives no medical advice, and the G-Learn certificate is not a qualification.
Pay
According to France's DREES (December 2024), self-employed GPs earned an average of €98,300 a year from their work in 2021, before income tax, with wide gaps depending on hours, location and gender. During residency, a junior doctor earns just over €2,700 gross a month plus bonuses (French ministry, via VIDAL, October 2026).
The hard parts
- Training takes at least ten years, with long placements, night shifts and intense revision that leave little free time.
- The workload in the practice is heavy: urgent requests, paperwork, and patients with nowhere else to go in medical deserts.
- You carry difficult decisions and bad news, and live with worry about some patients.
Sources: DREES — 237,200 doctors practising in France on 1 January 2025 (in French) · DREES — Income of self-employed doctors, Études et Résultats no. 1322, December 2024 (in French) · La Revue du Praticien — General practice in France: just the facts, December 2025 (in French) · VIDAL / AFP — 3,000 GP junior doctors deployed in November 2026 (in French)
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the GP's role
- Know the path, from PASS to residency
- Grasp the junior doctor's role
- Picture a day in the practice
- Understand setting up a practice
- Decide if this path is for you
The programme
Level 1 – Beginner
- D1The GP's role
- D2PASS, LAS and 1st cycle
- D32nd cycle, EDN and ECOS
- D4The general practice DES
Level 2 – Intermediate
- I1The daily rhythm
- I2Listening, secrecy, trust
- I3Coordination and networks
- I4Council, contract, fees
Level 3 – Expert
- E1Locum work, setting up
- E2Access to care and regions
- E3What AI changes
- E4Workload, on-call, balance
- E5Choosing your route
The full guide: 6 chapters
- The fundamentals of the job
- The path to the job
- Facts & figures
- The toolkit
- Case study: junior doctors
- GP glossary
Prices
The whole job in 13 pages, PDF, English or French.
13 five-minute lessons, quizzes and 3 certificates, English or French.
Path + full guide, English and French editions included.
14-day money-back guarantee · Instant download · Secure payment
Frequently asked questions
Can you become a GP at 30 or 40?
In France there is no age limit to apply through PASS or LAS, and some bridging routes exist for graduates. But you need at least ten years of study, so the plan must account for funding and family life.
How many years does it take to become a GP in France?
At least ten since the reform: six years of first and second cycles, then four years of general practice residency. The final year is spent as a junior doctor with supervised autonomy.
How much does a GP earn in France?
The DREES puts the average work income of self-employed GPs at €98,300 a year in 2021, before tax. Gaps are wide depending on working hours and how the GP practises. Junior doctors in their final residency year earn a salary with bonuses.
What is included in the general practitioner course?
A 13-page PDF guide that covers the whole job, and a 3-level path of 13 five-minute lessons (beginner, intermediate, expert), each with a quick quiz, plus a certificate of completion per level.
Is the course available in English and French?
Yes. You choose English or French at checkout; the Complete Pack includes both languages.
How do I receive the course?
Immediately after payment you receive a download link by email, with your invoice. The files are A4 PDFs you can read on any device or print.
Is the certificate an official qualification?
No. G-Learn certificates confirm you completed the course. They are not a state diploma or a licence to practise.
Can I get a refund?
Yes: if the course is not what you expected, ask within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. Prices start at €6.90.