Careers Service : Information

Medicine

Entry, Training, Representation and Choosing a Career

Where do I start? - information and advice on medicine as a second degree, specifically for University of Edinburgh students and graduates

Prospects Web - profile of a hospital doctor and GP from the official UK graduate careers website.

Jobs4U - profile of a doctor from the DfES' Connexions careers information service.

Entry into medical school
Governing bodies
General representational bodies/Unions
Defence unions
Websites advertising job opportunities
Part-time/flexible training
Medical education
Medical research
Work overseas
Advice on careers for those wanting to leave medicine
Medical and Surgical Specialties

Reference books available in the Careers Service

Entry into medical school

British Medical Association (BMA) Guide to becoming a doctor - provides information on courses and entry requirements, funding and the career path for a doctor. This guide aims to act as a starting point so is not fully comprehensive but does provide resources to use for additional information.

MedSchools Online - this website was set up by a medical students who studied medicine as a second degree. The information here is generally geared towards graduate entry to medicine and the course overview is really useful, detailing entry requirements and tests.

UCAS - link to information on admissions tests.

The Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) - has been developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to assist in the selection of students intending to participate in a graduate-entry medical program. GAMSAT UK is the program used by some graduate-entry medical schools in the UK. You can also order practice materials online.

Practice GAMSAT-style test - this online practice test is available on the website of one of the commercial preparation course providers and applicants may find it useful for sample questions and answers.

Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT) - is part of the selection procedure for undergraduate medicine at Cambridge University, Oxford University, University College London and Imperial College London. (It can also be taken for the graduate entry course at Cambridge but is not compulsory.)

UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) - is being developed by a consortium of universities and will have to be taken by anyone wanting a place in the specified medical schools. The difference between the UKCAT and similar admissions tests is that it will be taken before students fill in their UCAS forms.

Governing bodies

Department of Health (England) - is responsible for setting health and social care policy in England. The Department’s work sets standards and drives modernisation across all areas of the NHS, social care and public health.

Scottish Government Health Department - is responsible both for NHSScotland and for the development and implementation of health and community care policy. The Health Department oversees the work of 15 area health boards responsible for planning health services for people in their area, and 24 self-governing NHS Trusts.

Welsh Assembly Health & Social Care Department - includes a link to NHS Wales, providing a directory of NHS Trusts, Health Boards, hospitals and doctors surgeries as well as career information.

Northern Ireland Department of Health - administers the business of Health and Personal Social Services (which includes policy and legislation for hospitals, family practitioner services, community health and personal social services), Public Health (which covers responsibility for policy and legislation to promote and protect the health and well-being of the population of Northern Ireland) and Public Safety.

General Medical Council (GMC) - delivering and safeguarding the highest standards of medical ethics, education and practice, in the interests of patients, public and the profession. The site contains a good section on medical education.

General representational bodies / Unions (see section for speciality representational bodies)

British Medical Association (BMA) - provides career advice for doctors, an A-Z of medical education, careers and education websites and links to the BMA in Scotland, Wales and N Ireland. It also links to the British Medical Journal (BMJ) jobs website BMJCareers.

Dispensing Doctors Association (DDA) - promotes the interests of dispensing doctors and the excellence of doctor dispensing for the benefit of patients.

Defence unions

Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) - is an independent indemnity organisation, managed by doctors and dentists, providing medico-legal advice and promoting professional standards. The site has a students section and the Union can provide advice on choosing electives.

Medical Defence Union (MDU) - provides support to medical and dental professionals and students. The site includes an informative advice section.

Medical Protection Society (MPS) - is the largest mutual medical protection organisation operating internationally. It provides help to doctors with legal problems that arise from their clinical practice.

Websites advertising job opportunities

British Medical Journal (BMJ) Careers - Career Focus - advertises vacancies and provides career information.

NHS Scotland: Jobs in Scotland - contains details of all the current vacancies throughout NHS Scotland. NHSScotland also has a Careers and Opportunities in NHSScotland website.

NHS Careers (England and Wales) - is a specialised service providing information on careers in the National Health Service (NHS) in England.

Christian Medical Fellowship - exists to support Christian healthcare professionals & students into global healthcare. The site includes vacancies for UK Christian health professionals and student medical electives.

The Lancet - is a UK medical journal offering an independent and authoritative voice in global medicine. The online version allows only limited access to articles unless you subscribe. A paper subscription copy is available in the Main University Library.

Pharmiweb - is an industry-sponsored portal for the pharmaceutical sector. The site includes news, features, events and a careers database. There are also links to companies and organisations in the sector.

Jobs in Health - is a searchable recruitment site for health professionals.

HealthjobsUK - offers career and training information as well as vacancies in the health sector.

Part time / flexible training advice

Royal College of Physicians (RCP) - flexible training - for qualified doctors

Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) - flexible training in surgery - for qualified doctors

NHS Education for Scotland - offers guidelines intended to address the specific needs of those doctors in training who wish to train less than full-time (LTFT).

Medical education

Royal College of Physicians, London

Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh (RCPE)

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow

Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) - is concerned with the continuum of education from undergraduate or basic training through postgraduate, speciality or vocational training to continuing education.

Association for Study of Medical Education (ASME) - seeks to improve the quality of medical education by bringing together individuals and organisations with interests and responsibilities in medical and healthcare education. The site includes course and award information.

The Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board - representing the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom, is the executive body responsible for the supervision of higher medical training.

Higher Education Academy (now includes the former Learning and Teaching Support Network LTSN) - is an independent organisation funded by grants from the four UK funding bodies, subscriptions from higher education institutions, individual fees from practitioners, and grant and contract income for specific initiatives.

Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) - the MMC team is working with colleagues around the country to develop and implement a better way of training tomorrow's doctors. This website is the central information source for the MMC project, with specific information on Foundation Programmes and all the latest news about MMC. The site is geared towards training in England but there are links to sites with information on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

NHS Education for Scotland - includes guides to hospital training and general practice training.

The Postgraduate Medical Education Training Board - is the UK competent authority for postgraduate medical training in the UK and has responsibility for the certification of all specialties. It awards Certificates of Completion of Training (CCTs) and approves doctors for entry to the Specialist or GP Registers held by the General Medical Council.

The Foundation Programme - a website offering information and guidance for application to the Foundation Programme, the first two postgraduate years of medical education. Includes pdf downloads of the most important documents relating to the foundation programme, eg, application to the programme, the programme's curriculum.

Medical Research

Wellcome Trust - fosters and promotes research with the aim of improving human and animal health - and responding flexibly to medical needs and scientific opportunities. The website includes details of funding initiatives, past and present.

Medical Research Council (MRC) - promotes research into all areas of medical and related science with the aims of improving the health and quality of life of the UK public. The site includes extensive funding information and resources for scientists.

Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) - is a membership organisation of the leading UK charities that fund medical and health research.

Anatomical Society of Great Britain & Ireland - acts as a forum for those concerned with research and education in the anatomical sciences. It offers a number of grants and prizes, as part of its object of promoting research in the anatomical sciences.

Work overseas

To find out more about voluntary opportunities overseas, visit the voluntary work section of the Careers Service website and check out the opportunities on SAGE

VSO - is an international development charity that works through volunteers. There are many opportunities for healthcare volunteers worldwide.

Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) - assesses the readiness of international medical graduates to enter residency or fellowship programs in the United States that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The site also links to its member organisations which include the Federation of State Medical Boards.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) - is an international humanitarian aid organisation that provides emergency medical assistance to populations in danger in more than 80 countries.

British Council - promotes UK vocational education, training and lifelong learning worldwide and provide a wide range of international services. They have helped to develop vocational partnerships with countries all over the world.

Advice on careers for those wanting to leave medicine

If you decide medicine is not for you and you'd like to discuss your options, come and speak to a Careers Adviser and use the many resources within the Careers Service.

Other sites of interest

NHS Gateway - is a searchable portal to access all aspects of the NHS across the UK

RDLearning - a service funded by the Department of Health which lists UK postgraduate training for graduates and healthcare professionals.

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Medical and Surgical Specialties

The Joint Royal College of Physicians Training Board - provides a good overview of many specialties and the training involved.

NHS Careers - gives a good insight into the major specialties. As the NES (NHS Education for Scotland) website is still being developed, the NHS Careers website is better for specialty information at present.

NHS Medical Careers - is a resource for making informed decisions when planning a career in medicine and related fields. There is information on the medical specialities, how to choose your speciality and options outside clinical practice in the NHS.

British Journal of Hospital Medicine (BJHM) - is a monthly review journal for hospital doctors in all specialties. It contains clinical review articles, case reports, education and training articles, and the new MMC supplement for all doctors working in the Foundation Programme.

Wales Deanery and BMA Cymruonline videos of five specialities: Anaesthesia, Paediatrics, Pathology, Psychiatry, Obstetrics & Gynaecology. There are interviews with early and later career trainees and/or consultants talking about the training pathway, the development of the speciality and the qualities required. Although there is a 'Wales flavour' the videos are still helpful for anyone considering specialities.

Specialties are in alphabetical order but surgical bodies are grouped together under Surgery.

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

Jobs4U - profile of a consultant from the DfES' Connexions careers information service.

Accident & Emergency (A & E)

College of Emergency Medicine

Anaesthetics/ITU

Jobs4U - profile of an anaesthetist from the DfES' Connexions careers information service.

Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain & Ireland

Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA)

Intensive Care Society (ICS)

Armed Forces

Defence Medical Services Department (DMSD) - is the headquarters for the Defence Medical Services. Personnel from all three services work alongside civil servants in four directorates to formulate policy and provide coherent and co-ordinated approach. The site has links to medical and dental branches for all three armed services.

British Army Medical Officer

Royal Air Force Medical Officer

Royal Navy Medical Officer

Territorial Army Medical Officer