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A hospital doctor diagnoses and treats illness and disease in patients admitted to hospital.
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on a rota
Your day to day tasks will depend on your medical specialty. You'll do some tasks common to most hospital doctors like:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work in an NHS or private hospital.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You'll need to complete:
Entry to some specialties is very competitive. You can see the number of applicants to places available each year through the [NHS Competition ratios | https://specialtytraining.hee.nhs.uk/Competition-Ratios ].
If you already have a degree in a science subject (minimum upper second), you could take a 4-year graduate entry programme into medicine.
You may be able to join a 6-year degree course in medicine if you have no science qualifications. This includes a one-year pre-medical or foundation year.
When you apply for a course in medicine, you could be asked to take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) or BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT). They test the skills you'll need on the course, like critical thinking, problem solving, data analysis, communication and scientific knowledge.
Medical schools will also expect you to have some relevant paid or voluntary work experience. The British Medical Association has information on finding a placement.
You'll usually need:
It's really important to get as much work experience as you can with a diverse range of people before applying to medical school.
If getting hospital or GP placements proves difficult, you can gain valuable skills from volunteering in education, charity, health and social care settings.
You could contact the voluntary services co-ordinator at your local NHS trust for further advice.
You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.
You'll need to:
You could join the British Medical Association for professional development and training opportunities.
You can find out more about becoming a doctor and studying medicine from the British Medical Association and Health Careers.
With experience and entry on the General Medical Council (GMC) Specialist Register, you could apply for senior or consultant roles.
You may go on to lead a team, manage a department or work in private practice.
You could serve in the forces as a doctor or medical officer. You can find out more information from:Army; Royal Air Force; Royal Navy
You could go into training or mentoring medical students and other healthcare professionals or clinical research roles.