This commentary, published in Social Science and Medicine, assesses McKinlay and Marceau’s futuristic prediction that primary care physicians are no longer going to play a direct role in primary care. The role, as described in “When there is no doctor,” will likely be taken remotely through technological interfaces or nurses and non-physician clinicians employed by stores. I would like to evaluate their argument on scientific and health grounds. By reviewing the current literature on contemporary physician workforce challenges, the commentary provides overview of the current supply of primary care physicians, examines the proposed plausibility and inevitability of the disappearance of the primary care physician, and questions the potential effects on quality of care.