How to Become a Doctor in the UK
Doctors diagnose and treat illness, from GPs who see every kind of patient in the community to hospital specialists in areas such as emergency medicine, surgery, psychiatry or paediatrics. Whatever you end up doing, the first part of the route is the same for everyone: a medical degree, registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) and the two-year UK Foundation Programme.
It is a long road. Becoming a fully qualified GP usually takes about 10 years from your first day at medical school, and becoming a hospital consultant usually takes 14 to 16 years or more. You are paid from your first foundation year, though, so most of that time is spent working as a doctor in training rather than studying. This guide sets out each stage, how long it takes, how it is funded and what you earn along the way.
Quick facts
- Starting salary
- £36,000 - £45,000 (FY1)
- Mid-career salary
- £70,000 - £100,000
- Senior salary
- £100,000 - £150,000+ (partner)
- Work environment
- GP surgery, mostly clinic-based
- Time to entry
- 10 years
- Degree required
- Yes (medicine + GP training)
- Category
- Healthcare and Care
Compare pay across careers in the UK salaries by career report. Also in: High-paying careers, Stable careers.
What a Doctor does
Diagnose and treat patients in general practice, the front door of healthcare.
How to become a doctor in the UK
Most doctors start with a five-year medical degree (MBBS or MBChB). Some courses take six years, for example if they include a foundation year for applicants from widening participation backgrounds or an extra intercalated degree. Graduates in other subjects can apply for four-year graduate-entry medicine. Medical schools usually ask for A level chemistry and biology or another science with top grades, an admissions test (the UCAT for most courses, or GAMSAT for some graduate-entry places), a personal statement and evidence of caring work experience, followed by an interview. Medicine applications go through UCAS by the mid-October deadline, a year before you start, and you can apply to up to four medical schools.
In your final year you pass the Medical Licensing Assessment, and you graduate with provisional registration with the GMC. You then join the two-year UK Foundation Programme: full registration follows after the first foundation year (FY1). After FY2 you choose a direction. GP training takes three more years. Hospital specialties usually start with two or three years of core training followed by higher specialty training, or with a run-through programme, and finish with a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) that lets you apply for consultant posts.
- Take A level chemistry plus biology or another science, aiming for top grades, as UK medical schools set some of the highest entry requirements.
- Get work experience or volunteering in a caring role, such as a care home, hospice or GP surgery, and reflect on what you learned about patients and teamwork.
- Sit the UCAT in the summer before you apply, or GAMSAT for some graduate-entry courses, then apply through UCAS to up to four medical schools by the mid-October deadline.
- Complete your medical degree, usually five years (four for graduate entry), pass the Medical Licensing Assessment and gain provisional GMC registration.
- Complete the two-year UK Foundation Programme, gaining full GMC registration after FY1.
- Apply for specialty training: three years for general practice, or core and higher specialty training for hospital medicine, surgery or psychiatry.
- Finish training to join the GMC's GP Register or Specialist Register, then work as a GP or apply for consultant posts.
| Route | How long | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard medical degree (MBBS or MBChB) | 5 years, then 2 foundation years | Tuition fee loan in early years; NHS Bursary from year 5 in England | School leavers with top science grades |
| Graduate-entry medicine | 4 years, then 2 foundation years | Different funding rules; you usually pay part of the fees yourself | Graduates, often in science or health subjects |
| Medicine with a foundation year | 6 years, then 2 foundation years | Tuition fee loan | Widening participation applicants who meet the course's criteria |
How long each stage takes
Medical school: 5 years (4 for graduate entry, 6 with a foundation or intercalated year). Foundation Programme: 2 years, paid. GP training: 3 years, so a GP is usually fully qualified about 10 years after starting medical school. Hospital specialty training: usually 5 to 8 years after foundation, depending on the specialty, so most consultants reach the post 14 to 16 years after starting medical school. Many doctors take a year or more out between stages to work abroad, do research or try a specialty, which makes the real timeline longer.
How long it takes
You are paid as a doctor from FY1, about 5 years after starting a standard medical degree. Becoming a fully qualified GP usually takes about 10 years from the start of medical school, and becoming a consultant usually takes 14 to 16 years or more, with time out between stages adding to it.
Doctor salary in the UK
Resident doctors in England are paid on a national scale. On the 2025/26 scale, basic pay is about £38,800 in FY1 and about £44,400 in FY2, rises to about £52,700 in early specialty training and reaches about £66,400 to £77,700 for registrars. Consultant basic pay runs from about £109,700 to £145,500. Most resident doctors earn more than basic pay once extra hours, nights and weekends are added. GPs are paid differently: salaried GPs earn a salary set by their practice, and GP partners share the profits of the practice. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own pay scales. For 2026/27 the government accepted a 3.5% pay award from 1 April 2026, and our doctor salary guide sets out pay at every grade, by year and by month.
Is doctor a good career?
Medicine suits people who are academically strong, curious about how the body works, and able to stay kind and clear-headed when they are tired and under pressure. Demand for doctors is high across the UK, pay rises steadily through training, and the range of specialties means you can shape the career around what you enjoy. The trade-offs are the length of training, rotations that can move you around a region, night and weekend work, and the emotional weight of serious illness and death. If you want patient care with a shorter route, compare it with becoming a nurse, a paramedic or a pharmacist.
Key skills
- Clinical knowledge
- Communication
- Decision making
- Empathy
Will doctors be replaced by AI?
Moderate exposure. No. AI is increasingly used for clinical notes, triage support and spotting patterns in scans, but diagnosis and treatment decisions remain with a registered clinician, and patients want a person accountable for their care. Expect AI to cut paperwork, not doctors.
What AI already does in this job
- Clinical note-taking and letter-writing
- Summarising patient histories
- Decision support in triage and imaging
- Coding and administrative work
What stays with a person
- Diagnosis and treatment decisions under GMC registration
- Examining patients and procedures
- Breaking bad news and shared decision-making
- Responsibility when things go wrong
Medicine is one of the safest careers from replacement. If you want to work with the technology, clinical informatics and specialties that use imaging are where AI tools are arriving first.
Careers that reuse your skills with less AI exposure
- Surgeon - hands-on clinical work with the least automation
- Genetic Counsellor - combines clinical knowledge with difficult conversations
- Paramedic Practitioner - advanced clinical practice in unpredictable settings
More on AI and work: check another job, jobs AI will replace, AI-proof jobs.
Our rating judges how much of the role's everyday work current AI tools can already do or draft; it measures exposure, not job losses. Occupation findings are from the Department for Education, The impact of AI on UK jobs and training (November 2023).
How to retrain as a doctor
Graduates can apply for four-year graduate-entry medicine instead of the standard five- or six-year degree, followed by two foundation years and specialty training. Expect a decade or more before you are a GP or consultant.
Routes for adults
- Graduate-entry medicine - Four years for people with an existing degree. Places are limited and very competitive.
- Standard medical degree - Five or six years, open to graduates at many medical schools.
Paying for it
Funding for medicine as a second degree is complicated and partly self-funded. Check Student Finance England and the NHS Business Services Authority for the current rules before applying.
Retraining at 40 or 50
People start medicine in their 30s, but the length and cost of training make it one of the hardest late career changes. Paramedic, nursing or allied health routes are worth comparing.
Can I afford to retrain? · Advanced Learner Loans · Free Skills Bootcamps
Doctor FAQs
How long does it take to become a doctor in the UK?
You start work as a doctor after a 5-year medical degree (4 for graduate entry). Becoming a fully qualified GP usually takes about 10 years from the start of medical school, and becoming a hospital consultant usually takes 14 to 16 years or more.
How many years is medical school in the UK?
Most medical degrees take 5 years. Some take 6, if they include a foundation year or an intercalated degree, and graduate-entry medicine takes 4 years for people who already have a degree.
What do you need to get into medical school in the UK?
Usually top A level grades including chemistry and biology or another science, a good UCAT score (or GAMSAT for some graduate-entry courses), work experience in a caring role, a strong personal statement and a successful interview.
How much do doctors earn while training?
In England on the 2025/26 scale, basic pay is about £38,800 in FY1, £44,400 in FY2 and £52,700 in early specialty training, rising to about £66,400 to £77,700 for registrars. Extra hours, nights and weekends add to this.
Can I become a doctor as a mature student or career changer?
Yes. Graduates can apply for 4-year graduate-entry medicine or a standard 5-year course, and medical schools accept applicants of all ages. Check each school's rules on previous degrees, entry tests and funding, as graduate students usually pay part of their fees themselves.
Is Doctor right for you?
Career Compass ranks careers from your interests and priorities and explains every suggestion, with UK routes and trade-offs. See how well Doctor actually fits you. £19.99 once, full report included.
Not sure doctor is the right career for you? A good career test narrows the field before you spend money retraining.