Some primary-care doctors swear by midlevel providers; others swear at them. As a Medical Economics’ survey makes clear, the younger the doctor and the fewer years he has been in practice, the more likely he/she is to use a nurse practitioner or physician assistant. Benefits of midlevel providers are presented. Before calling a headhunter or placing a help-wanted ad, though, doctors will need to answer some tough questions about adding a physician extender to their staffs: 1. Do you have enough patients? 2. Can you supervise effectively? 3. Can you regard him/her as a colleague? 4. Can you provide the right motivation? 5. Can you evaluate his/her performance?