Becoming a doctor : in a nutshell

Qualifications

Entry to medical school…• Good GCSE’s• Three A Levels• Entry requirements vary between

medical schools• Medicine as a second degree• Foundation course for students

without a science background

Personal Attributes

Doctors must be able to…• Listen to their patients’ views and

respect their rights• Be honest and trustworthy• Work effectively with other

healthcare professionals• Act with competence,

compassion, responsibility and integrity

Career Path

Undergraduate education

• Medical degree (usually 5 years)

Postgraduate education• Foundation Year 1• Foundation Year 2• Specialty and general practice

training (between 3 & 8 years)

Continuing professional development

Types of doctorsGeneral Practitioners (GPs)Generally the first point of contact for patients. Their main responsibility is to assess a patient’s health and make an appropriate diagnosis

Hospital DoctorsThis group of doctors work in hospitals and can specialise in a range of different areas of medicine including surgery, psychiatry, paediatrics, anaesthesia and general medicine

OtherDoctors can work in a range of other settings including in the armed forces, for the police or at a medical school

For more detailed information, please see the full version of the ‘Becoming a Doctor’ guide on the BMA website: www.bma.org.uk/careers/becoming_doctor If you have any further queries, please contact the BMA Science and Education department info.science@bma.org.uk