If you are unsure about the spelling of the doctor's name, you can use a "wildcard" to broaden your search. For example, if you think the doctor's last name starts with "Sm", but you're not sure how it is spelled, enter "Sm%" (without the quotation marks) in the "Physician Last Name" box. You can also use a wildcard in front of the last letters of a name, and when searching by first name.

2. Check the criteria you entered

For example, a Halifax-based doctor will not be shown if "Dartmouth" is selected under the "Community" section. If you are unsure about the doctor's geographical location or specialty, do not make any changes to the "Community", "NS County" or "Specialties" boxes. Leaving these boxes at their default settings ( e.g. "All Communities" "All NS Counties" and "All Specialties") will increase the likelihood of finding the doctor you are looking for.

3. If searching by registration number, ensure that you have entered the number correctly

All registration numbers are 6 digits long, and all begin with one or more zeroes. When searching by registration number, do not exclude any zeroes from the beginning of the number.

4. Ensure that the physician is in practice in Nova Scotia

The physician listing only contains the names of physicians in active practice in Nova Scotia. Physicians who have retired, moved away, or died are not listed.

5. Try again later

The physician listing is updated regularly (see the date of the last update at the top of the physician search page). It may be possible that the doctor you are seeking has not yet been added to the list.