OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the competence of the primary care physicians for the evaluation of rheumatic disorders. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: In a cross-sectional survey we included primary care physicians working at the official Mexican Social Security Institute that provides nation-wide health-care for salaried workers. Four hospitals from 23 potentially eligible primary-care hospitals in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, were randomly selected. From these hospitals the physicians who agree to participate were asked to answer a questionnaire for clinical competence. Using a Delphi modified approach; this questionnaire was elaborated by a group of rheumatologists and researchers working in continuous medical education. A Kuder-Richardson reliability index was computed in 0.94. The diseases included in the questionnaire were: (1) rheumatoid arthritis, (2) Sjogren syndrome, 3) gout, 4) osteoarthritis and 5) systemic lupus erythematosus and questions regarding to these were made using the technique of "representative patients". Domains included in the questionnaire were: assessment of risk factors, strategies for diagnosis, and treatment. According to the scores obtained in the questionnaire the ranges for clinical competence were: very high level 93-110 points, high level 75-92, moderate 57-74, low 39-56, very low 21-38 and <20 points was considered obtained by chance. RESULTS: One-hundred and four primary care physicians were interviewed. From the total, 60 (58%) physicians had the speciality of family physician. Only 11% (95% CI 5-17) of the interviewed had a high level of competence according to the instrument. Moderate competence was achieved by 20% (95% CI 13-27), whereas suboptimal levels had 51%: being low 31% (95% CI 22-40), very low 20% (95% CI 13-27). An additional 18% had scores obtained by chance (95% CI 11-25). There was no statistical difference in the scores between physicians with or without the specialty in family medicine. CONCLUSIONS: These results pointed-out a sub-optimal competence in a significant proportion of the primary care-physicians attending rheumatic disorders. Higher efforts need to be made to increase the levels of competence and improve the effectiveness of continuous medical education for these physicians.