Hospital Doctor
Job Description.
Hospital doctors apply medical knowledge and skills to the diagnosis, prevention and management of disease. They work in wards and outpatient clinics, predominantly in the public sector (The National Health Service (NHS) ), but also in the private sector.As well as treating patients, they refer them to a wide range of other healthcare professionals including nurses, radiographers, pharmacists and physiotherapists. Hospital doctors work within a number of specialties, of which the most common are: anaesthetics, emergency medicine, general medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, psychiatry, trauma and orthopaedics.
Typical work activities
Specific tasks depend on the specialty - a surgeon's daily tasks are significantly different from those of a doctor working in accident and emergency (A&E) or a general physician. However, the following responsibilities are likely to be carried out on a daily or weekly basis, regardless of the doctor's specialty:monitoring and providing general care to patients on hospital wards and in outpatient clinics;admitting patients requiring special care followed by investigations and treatment;examining and talking to patients to diagnose their medical conditions;carrying out specific procedures, e.g. performing operations and specialist investigations;making notes, both as a legal record of treatment and for the benefit of other healthcare professionals; working with other doctors as part of a team, either in the same department or within other specialties;liaising with other medical and non-medical staff in the hospital to ensure quality treatment;promoting health education;undertaking managerial responsibilities such as planning the workload and staffing of the department, especially at more senior levels;teaching junior doctors and medical students, as well as auditing and research.
Salary and conditions.
Junior doctors in their first year of postgraduate foundation training (F1) earn a basic salary of around £22,400 a year. The basic salary in Foundation Year 2 increases to £27,800. They also receive a supplement or banding according to the rotation. This is based on the intensity of work and the number of hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week and/or work outside the hours of 7am - 7pm, Monday to Friday.Doctors in specialist training earn a basic salary of around £29,700 plus supplement.
Entry requirements
To become a hospital doctor, you must hold a degree in medicine recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC). Entry with only an HND or foundation degree is not possible.Competition for entry to a first degree course in medicine is fierce. Very high A-level grades (in relevant subjects such as sciences and maths) are required, and relevant pre-entry work experience is usually needed. Volunteering opportunities can be found at Medschools Online and Do-it .Entry to medical school with a previous unrelated degree is possible and medical schools may give credit for your prior learning. Most schools prefer science graduates with a 2:1 or above, but some will consider graduates of other disciplines. Access courses, usually lasting one year, are also available for graduates whose degree is not in an appropriate area. For details see Widening Access to Medical School (WAMS) .Further information on general entry to medicine and medical careers is available from:Medschools Online British Medical Association (BMA) NHS Careers