In our review of different careers we take a look at how to become a doctor and the role of a doctor in a hospital or GP setting.
What Does a Doctor Do?
A doctor usually works office hours in a surgery. They see many patients in a day and they are the first port of call for anyone with health issues. It is the job of the doctor to diagnose the issue and offer treatment, or if the issue cannot be diagnosed they will need to refer the individual to a specialist.
A doctor deals with a wide variety of people who have a wide range of problems and therefore has to have an immense knowledge of the human body. You will need to enjoy working with people and have a genuine desire to heal.
On a day to day basis, you would, as a doctor, be seeing patients, prescribing medication, performing minor surgeries, referring patients to consultants, maintaining and updating patient records.
Hours of work for a doctor used to be office hours only, but recently is has become more common for doctors to run evening and weekend surgeries and also for them to be on call for home visits.
Is Becoming a Doctor Right For Me?
The following skills are essential for any doctor:
- Discretion; you cannot discuss your patient's issues with anyone other than you patient or other healthcare professionals that need relevant information.
- The ability to work under pressure.
- Excellent people skills; you will have to deal with people from all walks of life.
- Good communication skills; you will need to explain complex things in a simple manner.
- The ability to keep your skills up to date.
How Much Can a Doctor Earn?
After successfully completing training a doctor will earn between £53,000 and £81,000 a year.
What Qualifications Do I Need To Become a Doctor?
Do become a doctor you need to complete a degree in medicine which will take three years. You will then need to complete a two-year foundation course of general training followed by specialist training, which takes around three years to complete.
