Doctor: hospital doctor or GP
A 5-year medicine degree, then 2 years of foundation training, then specialist training. To work as a doctor you must be on the GMC register with a licence to practise.
ONS
- Checked
- 9 Oct 2026
Medians for full-time employee jobs. ONS hides estimates it rates unreliable (CV over 20%).
View sourceNCS
- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
How to get there
2 routes. Hospital doctor · GP (general practitioner)
Hospital doctor GMC
Registered with the General Medical Council.
- School5 GCSEs (9 to 7) + 3 A levels
Including biology and chemistry.
NCS
Hospital doctor — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- TestUCAT
Many medical schools ask for it when you apply.
NCS
Hospital doctor — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- Degree5-year medicine degree
Recognised by the GMC.
NCS
Hospital doctor — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- ExamMedical Licensing Assessment (MLA)
Passed as part of your degree, before you join the medical register.
GMC
Medical Licensing AssessmentGeneral Medical Council (GMC)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
All medical students graduating from UK universities need to pass the MLA as part of their degree before joining the medical register.
View source - TrainingFoundation programme: 2 years
General training.
NCS
Hospital doctor — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- TrainingSpecialist training: 5 to 8 years
Depends on the speciality.
NCS
Hospital doctor — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- GoalRegistered with the GMC
NCS
Hospital doctor — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- Already have a science degree?
- A 4-year graduate entry route into medicine.
NCS
Hospital doctor — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- Working in healthcare?
- A Doctor Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship takes 5 years and needs your employer's support.
NCS
Hospital doctor — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
GP (general practitioner) GMC
A family doctor in a GP practice or health centre.
- Degree5-year medicine degree
From a medical school recognised by the GMC.
NCS
GP — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- ExamMedical Licensing Assessment (MLA)
Part of your degree.
GMC
Medical Licensing AssessmentGeneral Medical Council (GMC)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
All medical students graduating from UK universities need to pass the MLA as part of their degree before joining the medical register.
View source - TrainingFoundation programme: 2 years
General training.
NCS
GP — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- TrainingGP specialist training: 3 years
Often split between hospital and general practice.
NCS
GP — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- GoalGMC GP Register + licence to practise
NCS
GP — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
At school
GCSEs (Years 10–11) and A levels (Years 12–13), or equivalents.
- GCSEs
- At least 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 7 (A* or A), including English, maths and sciences.
NCS
Hospital doctor — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- A levels
- 3 A levels, or equivalent, including biology and chemistry.
NCS
Hospital doctor — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- UCAS points
- An A* = 56 points. Medical schools usually set grades, so check each school.
UCAS
The new UCAS Tariff: ten things applicants need to knowUCAS- Checked
- 9 Oct 2026
An A* at A level is worth 56 Tariff points. Only about a third of courses use Tariff points in their entry requirements; most ask for grades.
View source - Entry test
- You may be asked to take the UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test).
NCS
Hospital doctor — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
Pay by region
Pay is in pounds (£) per year, before tax, for full-time employees. ASHE counts employees only, so self-employed people (most barristers, many contractors) are not in these figures.
Generalist medical practitioners SOC 2211
- UK median £55,494
- Bottom 25% under £43,727
- Top 25% over £68,946
| Region (where people work) | Median pay | Jobs | How exact |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | £56,887 | — | Rough estimate |
| London | £55,318 | — | Rough estimate |
| East | £55,111 | — | Rough estimate |
| North West | £53,502 | 9,000 | Rough estimate |
Regions where ONS did not publish a reliable figure are left out. "Rough estimate" = ONS rates it CV 10–20%: use it with care. A region is listed only where ONS published a median for that job.ONS
Specialist medical practitioners SOC 2212
- UK median £92,847
- Bottom 25% under £67,335
- Top 25% over £136,100
| Region (where people work) | Median pay | Jobs | How exact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £121,827 | 22,000 | Rough estimate |
| South West | £98,216 | 9,000 | Rough estimate |
| London | £87,119 | 27,000 | Good |
| North West | £87,119 | 19,000 | Rough estimate |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £82,545 | 13,000 | Rough estimate |
| South East | £80,165 | 13,000 | Rough estimate |
Regions where ONS did not publish a reliable figure are left out. "Rough estimate" = ONS rates it CV 10–20%: use it with care. A region is listed only where ONS published a median for that job.ONS
Starting vs experienced (National Careers Service)
- Hospital doctor: starter £40,000 · experienced £145,000
NCS
Hospital doctor — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
- GP: starter £79,000 · experienced £119,000
NCS
GP — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
Moving between countries
Does this qualification count in another country? Only official rules; each source shows the date we checked it.
-
Doctor who qualified outside the UK, EEA and Switzerland (e.g. Indian MBBS) to UK doctor (GMC licence to practise)
PLAB 1 + PLAB 2- You will probably need the PLAB test. It checks you know and can do what a UK doctor starting the second Foundation year can.
- Before PLAB, the GMC checks that your degree is an acceptable overseas qualification and that your English is good enough.
- English: IELTS Academic 7.5 overall and 7.0 in each part, or OET Medicine grade B in all four parts, in one sitting. Valid for 2 years.
- PLAB 1: 180 questions in 3 hours, held in several countries. PLAB 2: a clinical exam (OSCE) of 16 scenarios at the GMC's centre in the UK.
- Pass both, then apply for registration: it must be approved within 2 years of passing PLAB 2. The GMC made PLAB meet the UK Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) in 2024.
Source:GMC PLAB
A guide to the PLAB testGeneral Medical Council (GMC)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
GMC degree check
Acceptable overseas qualifications for doctorsGeneral Medical Council (GMC)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
GMC English
Evidence of your knowledge of English: IELTSGeneral Medical Council (GMC)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
GMC OET
Evidence of your knowledge of English: OETGeneral Medical Council (GMC)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
GMC MLA
Before you apply: Medical Licensing AssessmentGeneral Medical Council (GMC)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026
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Medical graduate from outside the U.S. (e.g. Indian or UK MBBS) to U.S. residency and licence (ECFMG Certification)
USMLE + ECFMG- ECFMG counts you as an international medical graduate (IMG) by where your medical school is, not by your passport.
- Your school must be in the World Directory of Medical Schools with an ECFMG Sponsor Note that covers your graduation year. No note = not eligible.
- Pass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, and meet an ECFMG Pathway, which includes OET Medicine.
- ACGME residency programs and U.S. state medical boards both require ECFMG Certification from IMGs.
Source:ECFMG
ECFMG Certification: who is an IMG and the requirementsECFMG (Intealth)- Checked
- 23 Oct 2026