Medicine
Learn more about medicine below…
What is a career in medicine in health and social care?
A career in medicine involves diagnosing, treating, preventing illnesses and injuries while promoting overall well-being, and responding to emergency and critical care. There are over 50 different specialities of medicine to choose from, some of which are: anaesthesia, clinical oncology, clinical radiology, community sexual and reproductive health, emergency medicine, general practice (GP), intensive care medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology, paediatrics, pathology, public health and surgery.
Training & Roles
To work in medicine requires years of training and as part of that training you will work within a few different roles:
- Foundation Doctor
- Speciality Training
- General Practitioner
- Consultant
Medical School
Is a higher education institution where you begin your training and combines academic study and clinical training whilst undertaking an undergraduate programme lasting 5-6 years.
To apply you will need A levels at AAA or A*AA including biology and chemistry, and be required to undertake a test, either University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) or BioMedcial Admissions Test (BMAT).
Foundation Training (FY1 – FY2)
Following medical school, you then go onto foundation training which is a 2 year structured programme where you get hands on clinical experience and develop essential skills. You’ll work as a junior doctor and undertake rotations in different specialities. This can range from 3-6 placements in hospitals and community settings and complete work-based assessments and maintain an e-portfolio. After year 1, if you have met all your competencies you can apply for full registration with the General Medical Council (GMC).
Speciality Training (ST1-ST8, GP Training)
Upon completion of year 2 of foundation training, you can apply for speciality training or take a career break. Speciality training can take between 3-8 years depending on the chosen speciality and leads to becoming a consultant or GP. There are two main routes available; General Practice (GP) training or Hospital Speciality Training.
General Practice Training
is aimed at doctors who want to become General Practitioners (GPs). GP’s provide holistic medical care to patients in the community, diagnosing and treating a wide range of conditions.
This training takes 3 years to complete. In years 1-2, you’ll undertake hospital placements to gain experience in hospital based specialities relevant to General Practice such as:
- Paediatrics – caring for children
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology – women’s health and pregnancy care
- Psychiatry – managing mental health conditions
- Emergency medicine – handling urgent cases
- General medicine / surgery – managing chronic illnesses and acute conditions.
This can take between 18-24 months.
In years 2-3, you’ll undertake GP practice placements, by working in a doctors practice under supervision of a qualified GP, manage patients with chronic illnesses, mental health issues and minor ailments, and learn about prescribing, referrals and patient centred care. This can take between 12-18 months.
You’ll have to pass the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) exams.
Hospital Speciality Training is aimed at doctors who want to become a consultant in a chosen field. Depending on the specialism can vary how long this takes to complete and can range from 5-8 years.
There are 2 routes available, Run-Through Training and Uncoupled Training (core & higher speciality).
- Run-Through Training
is a type of speciality training where you apply once and progress from year 1 to the final year without needing to reapply and is available for certain hospital based specialities e.g. medical and surgical.
Medical Specialties:
- Public health medicine – 5 years
- Clinical radiology – 5-6 years
- Paediatrics – 5-8 years
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology – 7 years
Surgical Specialties:
- Ophthalmology – 7 years
- Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery – 7 years (after a dentistry degree)
- Cardiothoracic surgery – 8 years
- Neurosurgery – 8+ years
Uncoupled training (core & higher speciality) is a type of training where you first complete Core Training (CT1-CT2/3) and then apply separately for Higher Speciality Training (ST3-ST8).
- Core training
provides broad, generic training in a specific field before specialisation and ranges between 2-3 years. These include:- Internal medicine training g. cardiology, neurology – 3 years
- Core surgical training e.g. orthopaedics, plastic surgery – 2 years
- Core psychiatry training for those wanting to specialise in mental health – 3 years
- Acute care common stem for emergency medicine and anaesthetics – 3 years
At the end of core training, will need to pass speciality exams, complete work based assessments and a portfolio. To move on to higher specialty training will need to apply.
Higher speciality training provides advances medical training with specialist expertise in chosen core training, leadership skills and independent clinical responsibility in your chosen field and ranges between 4-6 years.
Doctors who complete Internal Medicine Training (IMT) can specialise in:
- Cardiology – Heart diseases, heart failure, arrhythmias.
- Gastroenterology – Digestive disorders, liver disease, endoscopy.
- Respiratory Medicine – Asthma, COPD, lung infections.
- Neurology – Stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis.
- Endocrinology & Diabetes – Hormonal disorders like diabetes, thyroid disease.
- Nephrology – Kidney diseases, dialysis, transplantation.
- Rheumatology – Arthritis, lupus, connective tissue diseases.
- Haematology – Blood disorders (e.g., leukaemia, anaemia).
- Oncology – Cancer treatment (medical oncology & clinical oncology).
- Infectious Diseases – HIV, tuberculosis, tropical diseases.
- Dermatology – Skin diseases, cosmetic dermatology.
- Geriatric Medicine – Elderly care, dementia, frailty.
- Palliative Medicine – End-of-life care, pain management.
Doctors who complete Core Surgical Training (CST) can specialise in:
- General Surgery – Abdominal surgery, bowel cancer, gallbladder operations.
- Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery – Bone fractures, joint replacements.
- Plastic Surgery – Reconstructive & cosmetic surgery.
- Neurosurgery – Brain & spinal cord surgery.
- Cardiothoracic Surgery – Heart & lung surgery.
- Vascular Surgery – Blood vessel surgery (e.g., aneurysms, varicose veins).
- Urology – Kidney, bladder, prostate surgery.
- Otolaryngology (ENT Surgery) – Ear, nose, throat conditions.
- Paediatric Surgery – Surgery for newborns & children.
- Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery – Complex facial surgery (requires a dentistry degree).
Doctors who complete specific core training programmes can specialise in:
Anaesthetics & Intensive Care Medicine
- Anaesthetics – Advanced anaesthesia & pain management.
- Intensive Care Medicine (ICM) – Managing critically ill patients.
Emergency Medicine (via ACCS – Acute Care Common Stem)
- Emergency Medicine – Trauma, resuscitation, acute medical emergencies.
Psychiatry (via Core Psychiatry Training)
- General Adult Psychiatry – Mental health disorders in adults.
- Old Age Psychiatry – Dementia & mental health in older adults.
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry – Mental health disorders in children.
- Forensic Psychiatry – Mental health in the criminal justice system.
- Learning Disability Psychiatry – Mental health in people with disabilities.
Radiology & Pathology Specialties
- Clinical Radiology – Medical imaging (CT, MRI, ultrasound).
- Interventional Radiology – Image-guided procedures.
- Histopathology – Diagnosing diseases by examining tissues.
- Clinical Microbiology & Virology – Infectious disease diagnostics.
For all of these training you will work towards qualifying for a Certificate of Completions of Training (CCT). This involves completing your training, undertaking work based assessments, passing speciality exams, completion of an e-portfolio and annual review of competence progression (ARCP).
You can then progress into a GP or consultant role and update your General Medical Council (GMC) registration to reflect your new role.
Consultant
You will be expert in your field and responsible for leading teams, treating complex cases and contributing to medical research and education. As part of your role you’ll have clinical leadership responsibilities and oversee patient care to make critical decisions and mange complex and high risk cases whilst supervising junior doctors and other healthcare staff like nurses and allied health professionals.
You may get involved in teaching and training, by mentoring and supervising junior doctors, medical students, delivering lectures and clinical training at universities, acting as an educational supervisor for those undertaking their speciality training and helping those prepare for their exams.
OR
General Practitioner (GP)
You’ll be a primary care specialist and can diagnosing and managing a wide range of medical conditions while providing continuity of care for patients. This may include assessing, diagnosing, and treating a wide range of acute and chronic conditions, prescribing medication and referring patients to specialists. As a GP, you’ll build long-term relationships with patients and families, can manage chronic illnesses like diabetes, asthma, and hypertension, provide support for mental health issues like anxiety and depression and help coordinate end-of-life care and palliative care for terminal patients.
You will work alongside a multidisciplinary team made up nurses, pharmacists, support workers, allied health professionals, mental health workers, and social workers.
Pay
Depending where you are in your training will depend on how much you are paid. When you start you foundation year training as a junior doctor you will start on £32,398 per year.
When you start your core / GP / speciality training you will start on £43,923 per year.
As a newly qualified consultant you will start on £93,666 per year and can progress to £126,281 with experience.
As a newly qualified GP, you will start on £63,000 per year and can progress to £100,000+ with experience. If you become a GP Partner (owner of a GP Practice) you can earn up to £150,000+.
You can earn extra by working unsocial hours and on call.
Where can you work?
Community
Doctors’ Practice
Hospice
Hospital
Mental Health
