What Does a Metabolism & Obesity Specialist Do?

Specialist vs. Family Doctor: Who Handles What

Most hormone-related conditions in Canada start with — and often stay with — a family doctor or a physician focused on metabolic health. A straightforward case of hypothyroidism or well-controlled type 2 diabetes is routinely managed with periodic bloodwork and medication adjustment. A referral to hospital-based specialist care generally happens when the case is complex, unstable, unusual, or not responding to standard treatment.

• Commonly managed in a virtual or primary care setting: initial screening bloodwork, stable thyroid replacement, routine type 2 diabetes management, first-line PCOS treatment, medical weight management
• Typically referred onward: type 1 diabetes, insulin pump management, diabetes that stays uncontrolled despite treatment, thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer follow-up, suspected pituitary or adrenal disease, and unexplained hormone results

Do You Need a Referral for Metabolic Care in Canada?

It depends on the service. Provincial health plans generally require a referral from a family doctor or nurse practitioner before a hospital-based specialist visit is covered, and wait times for non-urgent referrals are frequently measured in months rather than weeks. A virtual clinic like TelePlus Care works differently: you can book directly, without a referral, as a private visit — and in Alberta, a referral from your family doctor or nurse practitioner to Dr. Jerudi makes weight-management visits covered by Alberta Health. A licensed physician with focused expertise in internal medicine, metabolism, and obesity medicine reviews your concerns, orders the right blood work, and starts or adjusts treatment where appropriate. If your case needs hospital-based specialist care, the referral is arranged for you with your results already in hand.

What Can Be Handled Virtually

Metabolic care is unusually well suited to virtual follow-up, because so much of it is built on lab results and medication titration rather than hands-on examination. A months-long wait for in-person care does not have to be a period where nothing happens. A virtual physician can order the baseline bloodwork, start or adjust first-line treatment where appropriate, and keep a chronic condition stable in the meantime.

• Ordering baseline hormone and metabolic bloodwork, including thyroid panels and HbA1c
• Reviewing results and explaining what they mean
• Starting or adjusting first-line medication where clinically appropriate
• Medical weight management, including GLP-1 medications where appropriate
• Renewing prescriptions so treatment does not lapse while you wait
• Routine follow-up for stable chronic conditions between specialist visits

Symptoms Worth Getting Checked

Hormonal and metabolic conditions rarely announce themselves clearly. The symptoms are usually non-specific — the kind of thing that gets attributed to stress, ageing, or a bad stretch of sleep. Persistent versions of the following are worth a conversation and, usually, some bloodwork.

• Fatigue that rest does not resolve
• Unexplained weight gain or weight loss
• Feeling cold or hot when others around you do not
• Hair thinning, dry skin, or brittle nails
• Irregular or absent menstrual periods
• Excessive thirst and frequent urination
• Mood changes, anxiety, or difficulty concentrating without an obvious cause
• Reduced libido or erectile difficulties