Doctor - GP
Provide medical care for people in the local community. Diagnose and treat illnesses, give health advice and run clinics.
Also known as: general practitioner
About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£1,346
Entry level
£2,192
Experienced
Monthly
£5,833
Entry level
£9,500
Experienced
Yearly
£70,000
Entry level
£114,000
Experienced
26,500
people are currently employed
High growth
1,300 more jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
A day in the life — doctor - gp
What it's 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.
Hours
Environment
Travel
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- taking responsibility
- making decisions
- developing a plan
- social conscience
- empathising
- researching
- written communication
- verbal communication
- listening
- resilience
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Biology
Care
Chemistry
Human Biology
Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services and Healthcare
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
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.
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.
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