Hospital doctor
Examine and treat hospital patients. You'll save lives and improve people's health.
Also known as: hospital consultant
About the job
A day in the life - Hospital doctor
What it's like
Looking for a fast-paced, rewarding healthcare role where you make a real difference? Becoming a hospital doctor could be the perfect career for you!
You'll examine and treat hospital patients. A hospital doctor's work will save lives, manage serious conditions and help improve people's health.
Your patients will be sent to you by GPs and other health professionals. You'll listen to each person, ask them about their symptoms and do a physical examination. As a medical professional, people trust you to do your best to help them. So, it's important you reassure them and explain their treatment options clearly.
Hospital doctors specialise in a particular area. You'll need to stay up to date with developments in your chosen field. Lots of hospital doctors work in cardiology, gynaecology, general surgery and anaesthetics. But you could also specialise in dermatology, emergency medicine, obstetrics, paediatrics or radiology.
With experience, you may lead a team of medical staff, manage a department or help train doctors.
Your tasks might include:
diagnosing illnesses based on your patients' symptoms, tests and medical history
monitoring your patients' recovery and adjusting care plans as needed
explaining conditions and treatment options to patients and their families
liaising with other healthcare professionals such as nurses, physiotherapists or surgeons
carrying out procedures such as inserting cannulas, suturing wounds or assisting in surgeries
keeping patients' records up to date and writing reports to tell GPs about their diagnosis and care plans
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
NHS Scotland Careers: Your Med Future – a guide to studying medicine in Scotland
University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) – find out about the UCAT
General Medical Council – becoming a doctor in the UK
British Medical Association – advice and support for studying medicine
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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.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta 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 each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Biology
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Care
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Chemistry
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Human Biology
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Physics
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Maths (Mathematics)
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English
To work as a hospital doctor in Scotland, you need five things.
1. A degree that's recognised by the General Medical Council.
2. A foundational course of general training – you'll do this after you graduate and it takes two years to complete.
3. Speciality training – this is the stage where you decide which field you'd like to specialise in. Speciality training can last between five and eight years.
4. Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) – you'll be awarded your CCT once you've finished your speciality training.
5. A place on the General Medical Council's specialist register – this'll allow you to start working as a hospital doctor or consultant for the NHS.
University
You’ll need a degree or postgraduate qualification in medicine. Search medicine degrees on My World of Work.
Remember, medical degrees have extremely high entry requirements. In addition, you'll likely need to sit both the UCAT Situational Judgement Test for Admission to Clinical Education (SJTace) and the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT).
Some universities offer courses that include a 'pre-medical year'. These can be useful if you don't have the science-based Highers you need to apply for a medical degree.
Are you an adult who doesn't have the qualifications you need to go to university? You may be able to use the Scottish Widening Access Programme (SWAP) to kickstart your medical career.
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you progress to more advanced study. Look out for Pathways to Medicine courses.
Getting work experience in a relevant role can help you build the skills and experience you’ll need to become a hospital doctor. Search for opportunities on Volunteer Scotland.
A full UK driving licence may be useful.
All hospital doctors need to be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, run by Disclosure Scotland.
You should be fit and healthy.
You'll need to provide evidence that you do not have, and have been immunised against, Hepatitis B.
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