The healthcare professionals who most commonly provide primary care are:

  • Family medicine doctors (family physicians)
  • General internal medicine doctors (internists, for adults)
  • Pediatricians (for children and teens)
  • Nurse practitioners working in primary care (often called PCPs in clinics)
  • Physician assistants working in primary care practices

All of these can serve as a primary care provider (PCP), depending on your age, health needs, and local laws, but primary care physicians (family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics) are traditionally considered the main primary care professionals.