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: