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Career path

How to become a Doctor in the UK

Medicine is the most clinically rewarding and well-paid graduate career in the UK — but also the longest journey. UK medical training takes 5–6 years of medical school plus 2 years of Foundation Programme before doctors choose between general practice or specialist hospital training. The career is on the Skilled Worker shortage list with extensive NHS sponsor support.

Salary range£36K – £130K+
Demand levelVery high
Training time5-6 yr MBBS + 2 yr Foundation
Visa eligibilityHealth & Care Worker

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What does a Doctor (Medical) do?

Doctors diagnose, treat and prevent illness across all medical settings. Day-to-day work depends heavily on specialism: GPs run 10-minute appointments managing chronic disease, minor illness and referral; hospital doctors work in teams across emergency, medical, surgical or specialist services; specialist consultants lead clinical decision-making in their field.



UK medical training is heavily structured — every doctor must complete Foundation Programme (2 years) before choosing GP training (3 years) or hospital specialty training (5-8 years). All UK doctors must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC).

Diagnose and treat patients across primary care, hospital and specialist settings
Train through Foundation Programme, then choose GP or hospital specialty
Specialise into 60+ specialties — A&E;, surgery, paediatrics, psychiatry, radiology, anaesthesia
Work for NHS Trusts, GP partnerships, private hospital groups and specialist services

UK doctors work across NHS hospitals, GP surgeries, specialist services and private practice — the largest medical workforce in Europe.

UK salary ranges

UK doctor pay scales steadily through the NHS pay bands. Foundation doctors (FY1 / FY2) start at £36,000–£42,000. Specialty trainees (ST1+) reach £45,000–£75,000. Consultants earn £93,000–£128,000+ on the consultant pay scale. GP partners and p

📌 Doctor (Medical) (Girwa)
🏢 Academy Education Network (AEN)
📍 Girwa