Hospital Doctor
What is the work like?
Hospital doctors diagnose and treat illness, disease and infection in patients admitted into hospital or outpatient clinics.
As a hospital doctor, you would examine and treat patients referred to you by general practioners (GPs) or other health professionals. You could work within one of around 60 specialist fields, which can be divided into four main groups: medicine, surgery, pathology and psychiatry.
Medicine – you would treat general medical conditions and emergencies. You could also specialise in an area such as paediatrics, cardiology, dermatology, opthalmology, geriatrics, neurology or tropical medicine.
Surgery – as a surgeon, you would care for patients before, during and after operations. You could work within one of nine surgical specialties including cardiothoracic, general surgery, neurosurgery or plastic surgery.
Pathology – as a doctor in this area, you would investigate the cause of disease and the effect on patients. You could specialise in an area such as histopathology (diagnosing disease from changes in tissue structure), chemical pathology (examining biochemical changes relating to medical conditions) and molecular genetics (identifying abnormalities in DNA and chromosomes).
Psychiatry – you would work with patients experiencing mental health problems ranging from depression and anxiety to personality disorders and addictions. The treatment you would provide could include psychotherapy or counselling, psychiatric tests and medication.
You could also work in areas such as anaesthetics (check the Anaesthetist job profile), obstetrics, gynaecology, radiology and oncology.
Your duties could include leading a team or managing a department, and teaching and supervising trainee doctors. You would also keep patient records accurate and up to date, write reports, attend meetings or conferences and keep GPs informed about the diagnosis and care of their patients.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
To become a hospital doctor 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 your chosen area of medicine (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 approved courses.
If you do not have qualifications in science, you may be able to do a six-year degree course in medicine that includes a one-year pre-medical or foundation course (check with universities for details).
If you already have an honours degree in a science subject (minimum 2:1) you may be able to get onto a four-year graduate entry programme to medicine. Some universities will accept non-science graduates. The British Medical Association (BMA) website has details of course providers.
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, check with 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 become a senior doctor or consultant in your chosen field:
- 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 general practice. 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 a specialist area of medicine (leading to consultancy). You apply for this programme through The Foundation Programme website.
- specialist training programme – this stage can take up to eight years, depending on your chosen area of medicine. You will go through basic, intermediate and advanced levels of training, learning and practising medicine in a specialist field. 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 and you may also sit formal examinations (often set by the Royal College overseeing your specialist area of medicine). 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 Specialist Register and apply for consultant posts in the NHS.
This new way of training is part of the NHS Modernising Medical Careers review.
As a consultant you are expected to continue learning throughout your career. Many of the Royal Colleges have details on all aspects of training and continuing medical education. See the Royal College of Physicians website for details.
Where can I go for more information?
Regent's Place350 Euston Road
London
NW1 3JN
Tel: 0845 357 3456
Bristol
BS99 3EY
Tel: 0845 606 0655
London
WC2A 3PE
Tel: 020 7405 3474
Regent's Park
London
NW1 4LE
Tel: 020 7224 1539
London
WC1H 9JP
Tel: 020 7387 4499
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 (junior doctors) can earn between £21,000 and £26,000 a year.
- Doctors in specialist training can earn up to £44,000.
- Consultants can earn between £70,000 and £160,000 a year.
Doctors in training may also receive extra payments depending on the hours worked, workload and the amount of time spent working unsocial hours. Consultants often supplement their income with private sector work. Those working in private hospitals may negotiate higher fees.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
What are the hours and working conditions?
You would work relatively long hours, including evening, weekend and night shifts, especially as a trainee doctor. You could work around 56 hours a week, however, by 2009 this will be reduced to a maximum limit of 48 hours a week.
Generally, your working conditions in hospitals are clean, modern and comfortable. You could spend time in a variety of settings such as consulting rooms, wards, operating theatres, and special units like accident and emergency.
Your work as a doctor will be both demanding (mentally, physically and emotionally) and rewarding.
What skills and knowledge will I need?
- a keen interest in science and medicine
- the ability to make sound judgements in your personal and professional life
- a genuine desire to help people
- good communication skills and the ability to explain patient choices
- the ability to put people at ease and inspire their trust and confidence
- the ability to keep your skills and knowledge up to date
- strong analytical skills
- the ability to absorb scientific and technical information
- good practical skills for examining patients and performing clinical procedures
- the ability to work under pressure and make quick clear decisions
- the potential to train, teach and supervise staff.
What opportunities are there?
Competition for promotion through the various stages of training can be strong because there are only a limited number of places available on specialist programmes. When you qualify, you may also need to relocate to take up a more senior position.
As a consultant, you will often find opportunities to work in the private sector. With experience, you may go onto lead a team, manage a unit or department. You may also progress to teaching and training students, trainee doctors and other healthcare professionals.
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
Hospital Doctor (a medical newspaper)
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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