The first docteurs juniors start in GP practices this November: 214 in Hauts-de-France, 412 in Île-de-France. Who they are, whether you can see one, and why without a médecin traitant the health fund pays back €8.40 instead of €19

What is happening

In November 2026 the first wave of docteurs juniors en médecine générale starts work in GP practices, maisons de santé pluriprofessionnelles and centres de santé. These are trainee GPs (généralistes) in a new, fourth year of residency. According to the regional health agencies (ARS), Hauts-de-France has 214 of them, and 71% will work in areas identified as priorities for access to care. Île-de-France has 412, and 93% will work in areas with too few doctors. Seine-Saint-Denis gets the most (74), and Paris gets 58.

ARS Hauts-de-France expects the practices that take them on to have more appointments available.

Who a docteur junior is

The ARS pages describe a docteur junior as a doctor who has already defended their thesis but is still in training. From November 2026, the general-medicine specialty diploma (DES) lasts four years instead of three. The final year is spent in community practice, close to patients, rather than in hospital.

• A docteur junior holds consultations and follows patients, but works in 'autonomie supervisée': under the responsibility of an experienced GP, the maître de stage universitaire (MSU). The MSU organises the consultations.
• An MSU supervises no more than two docteurs juniors. They must work reasonably close to the MSU, which ARS says is commonly taken to mean no more than 30 minutes by car.
• A docteur junior can spend one day a week outside the practice, for example in an EHPAD or a PMI.
• Important: a docteur junior cannot be chosen as your médecin traitant (ARS Hauts-de-France).

Neither the ARS pages nor Ameli say anything specific about what a consultation with a docteur junior costs or how it is reimbursed. Ask the practice when you book.

Why the médecin traitant matters most

For a newcomer, the most common source of extra cost is not the doctor's fee. It is not having a declared médecin traitant: the doctor who keeps your medical file and refers you to specialists. Declaring one is not compulsory. Ameli says plainly that you are free to declare one or not. But Ameli gives this example for a €30 consultation with a secteur 1 GP:

• with a declared médecin traitant, the health fund pays back €19 (70% of the fee minus the €2 participation forfaitaire);
• with no médecin traitant declared, it pays back €8.40.

You are still reimbursed normally without seeing your médecin traitant in a few cases: children under 16, an emergency, being far from home (on holiday, for example), or seeing your doctor's remplaçant. You can go straight to a gynaecologist, ophthalmologist or stomatologist, but only if you have declared a médecin traitant.

How to declare one

According to service-public.gouv.fr:

1. Agree with a doctor that they will be your médecin traitant.
2. Usually the doctor files the declaration online with your carte Vitale, and no paperwork is needed. If not, you fill in a form together, both sign it, and send it to your CPAM.
3. You can change doctor at any time without giving a reason. The new declaration replaces the old one.

For a child under 16, at least one parent chooses the doctor. People on AME are not covered by this system.

If no doctor will take you on, service-public advises contacting the coordinated care organisation for your area. If there isn't one, contact your health fund (CPAM, or MSA for the agricultural scheme).

What this means in practice

A docteur junior can get you seen sooner, but does not solve the médecin traitant question. If you don't have one, it is worth asking at a practice that hosts a docteur junior whether the supervising doctor or a colleague can take you on.

Only your CPAM can answer questions about your own reimbursements. We don't review individual situations.