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Doctor Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

A Doctor, or Physician is one of the primary members of the medical community. Their primary duties include examining patients, diagnosing health problems and administering effective treatments.

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Doctor duties and responsibilities

A Doctor provides acute care and preventative care and refers patients to specialists as needed. Other duties and responsibilities of a Doctor include:

  • Performing minor and major surgical procedures
  • Keeping records of the patient’s disease, operations or treatments
  • Prescribing laboratory tests and interpreting the results obtained
  • Conducting face-to-face clinical evaluations on the impact of a patient’s injury
  • Prescribing medication or drugs, including dosage and usage and dispensing medication in accordance with governmental guidelines
  • Updating General Practitioners of their patient’s progress
  • Maintaining medical quality assurance and quality control standards
  • Supervising and training medical personnel or trainee Doctors
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What does a Doctor do?

A Doctor works to care for patients in many different ways, from advising patients about preventive healthcare to treating chronic illnesses. While their specialities may vary, their main focus is to diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries. This is done by administering physical examinations, reviewing medical histories, conducting and analysing diagnostic tests and recommending treatment plans. Doctors can practise general medicine or pursue a career in emergency medicine, psychiatry, surgery or trauma and orthopaedics, among others.

Doctor skills and qualifications

A successful Doctor candidate will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications to perform their duties and responsibilities effectively, these include:

  • Ability to interpret symptoms and diagnose health conditions
  • In-depth knowledge of UK medical guidelines and best practices
  • Strong understanding of examination methodologies and diagnostics
  • In-depth knowledge of medical equipment and instruments
  • Ability to react calmly and objectively to emergency situations
  • Ability to communicate clearly with patients and staff in written and verbal communication

Doctor experience requirements

A Doctor needs to have at least three years of residency in a hospital setup diagnosing and treating a range of medical conditions. In addition to performing check-ups, they also need solid experience administering general medication and treatments. It’s essential for them to have experience handling casualty, accident and emergency cases. For specialist roles, experience with internal medicine, anesthesiology, intensive care and pulmonology is necessary, depending on the speciality. The Doctor must also have experience reviewing and interpreting medical evidence and creating clinical reports.

Doctor education and training requirements

Doctors need to have a degree in clinical medicine from an accredited university and a residency or fellowship depending on the field of specialisation. Once they graduate, they need to obtain a medical licence before they start practising. Most referral and teaching hospitals do offer speciality training on the job. Upon completing speciality training in paediatrics, neurosurgery or emergency medicine, the Doctor has to sit an examination to receive board certification.

Doctor salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Doctor in the UK is £62,141 per year. This figure varies depending on factors, including experience, any specialisations, the size of the organisation and its geographical location.

Job description samples for similar positions

If this job description for a Doctor is not quite what you’re looking for, here are some other job description samples that may better fit your needs:

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Doctor job description FAQs

What qualities make a good Doctor?

A good Doctor has a strong work ethic and exhibits high professionalism by adhering to the medical board regulations regarding treatment. They are also empathetic and eager to help patients get better. Doctors need to be trustworthy and discreet when treating patients and handling confidential records. Since they work with a clinical team, Doctors need to be strong team players in order to collaborate well.

What should you look for in a Doctor's CV?

Look for training and significant experience in the medical industry as a Physician or Doctor. The skills and qualifications section must demonstrate the candidate’s ability to assess patients, perform medical diagnosis and administer effective treatments. Doctors with a background in family medicine or emergency medicine and a history of local practice can be a good fit.

How can you make your Doctor's job description stand out?

Specify the Doctor’s roles so they know whether they are only going to perform out-patient consultations or diagnosis and treatments. Keep your job description’s list of skills and qualifications to about six to eight bullet points, starting with the most vital qualification. Also, state who the Doctor is answerable to and ensure your Doctor’s job description has relevant terms and keywords like Medical Doctor, Physician or General Practitioner .

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