Doctor

As a Doctor, you will diagnose, treat, and help prevent illnesses and injuries, supporting people to improve and maintain their health. You will work closely with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals to make decisions about care, provide treatment, and help people manage a wide range of health conditions.

Doctor is also known as GP, Hospital Doctor, Surgeon.

Role Characteristics

Examine, listen and talk to people to diagnose their medical conditions
Monitor and provide general care to people
Promote good health
Write reports and prepare paperwork
Work with other health and care professions as part of a team, either in the same department or within other specialties
Supervise and train junior medical staff

Skills

Active listening
Advice giving
Attention to detail
Team work
Decision-making
Working under pressure

Day in the life

Hear from Dr Jonathan Berrick, alumnus of the University of Leeds, who shares his experience of medical school and beyond.

Routes into this role

Here are some example routes that can lead into this role.

GCSEs

BTEC, T-Level or A-Levels

Foundation degree

Undergraduate degree

Postgraduate degree

How to become

To become a Doctor, you will need a degree in Medicine. There are many ways to access university level education, and you can explore lots of current opportunities in the section below.

You might:

Study A Levels, BTECs, or T Levels. Useful subjects might include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Applied Science, or Health and Social Care.
Complete an Access to Higher Education course, a college course designed for adults who want to access higher education but do not have the traditional requirements like A Levels.
Complete a Foundation Year, a year-long university course designed to prepare you for studying Medicine or another health-related subject if you do not have the required qualifications or grades to go straight into a degree.
Alongside education, you may also want to build some relevant work or voluntary experience in healthcare settings, care services, community organisations, schools, charities, or customer-facing roles and think about developing your communication, empathy, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, decision-making, resilience, and organisation skills.

You will then be ready to study at a university level. This can include:

Studying an undergraduate degree in Medicine (MBBS, MBChB or equivalent). This usually takes 5 years.
After completing your medical degree, you will usually complete Foundation Training, a two-year paid training programme where you work in different healthcare settings and specialties to develop your clinical skills and experience.
Finally, you can complete your medical specialty training, paid training to practice in a particular area of health, a surgical specialty, or to practice as a GP. This can take from 3 to 8 years depending on the specialty.
To practise as a Doctor, you must also be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC).

Where can this role lead

From your role as a Doctor, you could specialise in a wide range of areas of medicine depending on your interests. This might include becoming a General Practitioner (GP), or focusing on a speciality like Psychiatrist, Paediatrician, Emergency Medicine Doctor, Radiologist, Pathologist, or Anaesthetist. If you enjoy performing procedures and operations, you could train in a surgical specialty such as becoming a Surgeon.

Your skills in assessment, diagnosis, clinical decision-making, leadership, and communication would also transfer well into wider health and care roles. You might move into Public Health Practitioner roles focused on improving community health, or combine clinical expertise with service improvement and innovation.

Progression might involve taking on leadership responsibilities as a Service Manager or Project Manager, leading teams, improving services, or shaping how healthcare is delivered. You could also develop a career as a Lecturer, Researcher, or working in workforce development, helping to train future healthcare professionals and advance medical knowledge.

Location

Community Settings
Hospitals
Peoples Homes
Prisons
Armed Forces
Care Homes
GP Practices

Working hours

Weekdays
Weekends
Nights
Part Time
Full Time
Casual Hours
Overtime
Flexible Hours

Opportunities

Access to university

MBChB Gateway to Medicine

A programme designed to support people from different backgrounds, this programme includes an additional foundation year leading into the full Medicine and Surgery degree.