Doctor - GP
Career outlook for doctor - GP
UK Salary Ranges
Entry-level
£70,000
£70,000
Experienced
£114,000
£114,000
Currently employed in Scotland
26,300
Salary information is provided by the "National Careers Service". "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures. Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.
What's it like?
You would provide medical care for people in the local community. The patients will trust you to help them by quickly diagnosing and treating their illness.
You’d be the first point of contact for patients, seeing them either in your surgery or visiting them at home. You would need to listen to them and put them at ease.
You’d ask the person questions about their health and do physical checks if necessary. You’d make a diagnosis, explain the options for treatment to the patient and decide what action to take.
You would:
- Give general advice
- Prescribe medicine
- Recommend treatment
- carry out minor surgery
- Refer them to a specialist consultant for tests and further diagnosis
You could also run the GP practice, either alone or in partnership with other GPs. You’d do administration like writing letters and reports, and keeping records of patient’s visits and treatments.
You might arrange support from other health professionals such as physiotherapists and nurses. You could organise clinics and health education for groups of patients such as pregnant women, smokers and people with diabetes.
You’d probably take further training to develop skills in specialist areas such as minor surgery or mental health.
You would often work in a team that includes practice nurses, health visitors, midwives, counsellors and administrative support staff.
You can see more about this role on the general practice page of the NHS careers website and see more about the salaries on the pay for general practitioners page on the British Medical Association website.
The NHSScotland Careers website has information about training as a doctor in Scotland.
Working conditions
Hours
Environment
Travel
UK employment status
Full-time
65%
Part-time
22%
Self employed
14%
Create a qualification route
We've found some examples of the qualifications that could help you get this job.
Discover my routeSearch course options
Thinking about your future? There are lots of courses available that could interest you. Use our course search to explore course options.
Find coursesSearch job opportunities
If you're looking for your new career our job search can help you. Discover interesting opportunities and decide your next steps.
Find a jobTop skills
Here are some of the skills needed for this job. Sign in to see how your skills match up.
- Resilience
- Listening
- Verbal communication
- Written communication
- Researching
- Empathising
- Social conscience
- Developing a plan
- Making decisions
- Taking responsibility
Skills Explorer
Your skills can help you choose the career that's right for you. You can build your skills through work, study or activities you do in your spare time.
Our Skills Explorer tool will help you understand what skills you have and match them to jobs that might suit you.
Use the Skills Explorer toolGetting in
Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Choosing a Foundation Apprenticeship as one of your subjects in S5 and S6 can help you get a head start with this type of job.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification (the same level as a Higher) plus valuable work placement experience and skills you can't learn in a classroom.
Interested? Find out what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
Qualifications
You need an honours degree in medicine (SCQF level 10) recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC) and a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).
Entry to a medical degree (SCQF level 10) requires National 5 qualifications and at least five Highers at AAAAB or above, usually achieved at one sitting; Advanced Highers in science subjects are recommended.
Glasgow Kelvin College offers an Access to Medical Studies (SWAP) for adults who do not have the required qualifications.
The University of Highlands and Islands offer a Higher National Certificate (SCFQ level 7) Pathways to Medicine course requiring National 5 qualifications and at least one Higher.
If you have five good Highers but do not have all the science subjects, Dundee University runs a six-year course which includes a pre-medical year (SCQF level 10).
A course is available at the universities of Dundee and St Andrews for those with an arts or science degree (at least 2:1). The Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine Programme (ScotGEM) is 4 years and leads to the MB ChB. There is a focus on rural health and it offers opportunities to train in remote and rural areas.
For the ScotGEM course you are required to sit both the UCAT Situational Judgement Test for Admission to Clinical Education (SJTace) and the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT).
In addition to the entrance requirements, international students who wish to study medicine must be able to demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence. Various language qualifications are accepted such as IELTS, TOEFL and Trinity ISE – please contact individual universities for specific details and scores required.
Useful subjects
- Maths (required by most courses)
- Chemistry (required by most courses)
- Biology (required by most courses)
- Physics (required by most courses)
- Human biology (required by some courses)
- English
- Care
- Social subjects such as psychology
You will also need
Before applying to medical school you must sit the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT).
You will need to be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland.
Related industries
