Doctor (GP)
What is the work like?
General practitioners (GPs) provide medical care for patients in the community. They diagnose and treat illness, disease and infection.
As a GP, you would see patients in your surgery or visit them at home. You would examine the patient, assess their situation and decide on appropriate action, which could include:
- making a diagnosis
- giving general advice
- prescribing medicine
- recommending treatment
- conducting minor surgery
- referring the patient to a specialist consultant for tests and further diagnosis.
You would also be responsible for running the practice, alone or in partnership with other GPs. Your duties could also include:
- arranging healthcare support from other health professionals, such as physiotherapists and nurses
- administrative tasks, such as writing letters and reports, and maintaining patient records
- organising clinics and health education for patient groups like pregnant women, smokers and people with diabetes
- developing skills in a specialist area such as minor surgery or mental health (further training may be needed for this).
You would often work in a team including practice nurses, health visitors, midwives, counsellors and administrative support staff.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
To become a general practitioner (GP), you need to complete:
- a degree in medicine, recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC)
- a two-year foundation programme of general training (see Training and Development section for details)
- specialist training in general practice (see section below).
To get onto a five-year degree in medicine you will usually need at least five GCSEs (A-C) including English, maths and science, plus three A levels at grades AAB in subjects such as chemistry, biology and either physics or maths. Check the GMC website for a list of degree courses.
If you do not have qualifications in science, you may be able to join a six-year degree course in medicine which includes a one-year pre-medical or foundation year.
If you already have an honours degree in a science subject (minimum 2:1) you could do a shortened, four-year graduate entry programme to medicine. Some universities will accept non-science graduates. See British Medical Association (BMA) website for details.
When you apply for a degree in medicine, you may be asked to take the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT). Universities use this test to help them select students with the personal qualities and mental abilities needed for a career in medicine. Your university will tell you if you need to take the test.
If you trained as a doctor overseas, contact the GMC for details about registering and practising in the UK.
You can find out more about working as a health professional through paid or voluntary experience, for example as a healthcare assistant in a hospital (contact the voluntary services coordinator or manager at your local NHS Trust). And for further advice, why not read our article on Volunteering in the health sector?
What further training and development can I do?
When you have achieved your degree in medicine, you need to complete two further stages of training to qualify as a GP:
- a two-year foundation programme – during this stage you will be known as a Foundation House Officer. You will have the chance to work in a variety of clinical settings, from acute care to mental health. At the end of year one (known as F1) you can achieve full registration with the GMC. By the end of year two (F2) you will make your career choice, for example, to train in general practice. You apply for this programme through The Foundation Programme website
- specialist training in general practice – this will take around three years to complete and will include spending at least 12 months as a GP registrar in the NHS. During this time you may also work in areas such as paediatrics, psychiatry, geriatrics and general medicine. Applications for this stage will be arranged locally by postgraduate deaneries, for details check the Postgraduate Medical Education Board website.
You will be assessed throughout your training. If your skills meet the required standard you will be awarded the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT). This means you will be eligible to join the GMC GP Register and practise independently as a doctor. This new way of training is part of the NHS Modernising Medical Careers review.
As a GP, you could sit formal exams leading to membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), but this is not essential. The RCGP website has further details on all aspects of GP training and professional membership.
To keep your license to practise, you are expected to continue to develop your skills throughout your career and produce evidence of your ongoing education and learning each year. See the GMC and BMA websites for details.
Where can I go for more information?
PO Box 376Bristol
BS99 3EY
Tel: 0845 606 0655
London
WC1H 9JP
Tel: 020 7387 4499
Hyde Park
London
SW7 1PU
Tel: 020 7344 3051
350 Euston Road
London
NW1 3JN
Tel: 0845 357 3456
If you would like to discuss your career options with a learning adviser at learndirect Careers Advice, call 0800 100 900 or use our online enquiry form
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What salary and other benefits can I expect?
- Foundation house officers can earn between £21,000 and £26,000 a year.
- Doctors in vocational general practitioner training can earn up to £44,000.
- Full-time GP salaries can be around £76,000 a year.
- Independent GPs can earn between £80,000 and £120,000 a year.
Doctors in training will receive extra payments depending on the hours worked, workload, and the amount of time spent working unsocial hours.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
What are the hours and working conditions?
You would work up to 52 hours a week as a full-time GP (this can include evenings and weekends). You may also be expected to work an out of hours emergency on-call rota, however, the use of deputising services is becoming more widespread. Part-time hours may also be available.
Generally, your working conditions in a surgery would be clean, comfortable, and modern. You may spend some time making home visits and in rural practices you may have to travel long distances.
What skills and knowledge will I need?
- a genuine desire to help people
- excellent communication and listening skills
- a keen interest in science and medicine
- the ability to keep up-to-date with developments in patient care
- compassion, integrity and a sense of responsibility
- the ability to put people at their ease and inspire their trust and confidence
- practical skills for examining patients and performing clinical procedures
- the ability to work under pressure and make quick clear decisions
- the ability to work consistently to high professional standards
- leadership skills
- the ability to train, teach and supervise staff.
What opportunities are there?
Department of Health statistics suggest there are around 35,000 GPs in England working under-contract for the NHS, independently or in partnership with a local Primary Care Trust. The armed forces also employ a small number of GPs.
The Health Service Journal reports there are GP shortages in certain regions of the country, especially in more deprived, urban areas. The government is offering a range of financial incentives (such as the Primary Care Development Scheme) to help understaffed GP practices attract new GPs.
As a GP you could take on work outside the practice, for example running hospital sessions, or occupational health duties in the workplace. You may also find opportunities for advisory work, for example with pharmaceutical companies, the Benefits Agency, police and prison services. Other areas you could go into include education, for instance, teaching the postgraduate stages of GP training.
You may find the following useful for job vacancies and general reading (links open in new window):
NHS Jobs
The Lancet
The British Medical Journal
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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