Doctor

What does a doctor do?

• Take medical histories, examine patients and decide which tests they need.
• Diagnose illness and injury using test results, scans and clinical judgement.
• Prescribe medicines and other treatments, and check how patients respond.
• Carry out procedures or surgery, depending on the specialty.
• Explain diagnoses and treatment options to patients and families in clear language.
• Work with nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals to plan care.
• Keep accurate medical records and stay up to date with new medical evidence.

Where do they work?

Doctors work in public and private hospitals, general practice and family medicine clinics, emergency departments, community health services, the armed forces, universities and research institutes. Some work for governments or international health organisations, or in industry roles such as drug development. Hospital doctors often work long shifts, nights, weekends and on-call periods, especially during training. General practice usually has more regular hours, but the workload can still be heavy.

What skills do you need?

• Clinical knowledge of the human body and disease
• Diagnostic reasoning and decision-making
• Clear and caring communication
• Working calmly under pressure
• Attention to detail and patient safety
• Teamwork across health professions
• Medical ethics and confidentiality
• Commitment to lifelong learning

How do you become a doctor?

There are two main models. In the UK, much of Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, you usually study medicine as a first degree straight after secondary school, and it typically takes five to six years, sometimes longer. In the United States and Canada, you usually complete a bachelor's degree first and then four years of medical school. Some programmes in Australia also use this graduate-entry model. After medical school, you do supervised training in hospitals, called internship, foundation training or residency, and in most countries you pass licensing exams. Specialist training then typically takes from about three years for family medicine to seven years or more for some surgical specialties.

1. Medicine as a first degree. In most countries outside North America, you apply to medical school straight after secondary school. Programmes typically last five to six years and mix science teaching with clinical placements in hospitals and clinics. Entry is very competitive and usually needs top grades in chemistry and biology, and often an admissions test and interview.
2. Graduate-entry medicine. In the United States and Canada, you usually complete a bachelor's degree, including required science courses, before a four-year medical degree. The UK, Ireland and Australia also offer graduate-entry programmes, often around four years long. This route suits people who choose medicine later or change career, but places are limited and competition is strong.
3. Qualified in another country. Doctors who trained abroad can often work in another country, but they usually need their degree checked, a licensing exam, proof of language skills and sometimes a period of supervised practice. Within the European Union, medical degrees that meet shared training standards are generally recognised between member states. The process can take years, so plan early.

Degrees that lead to this career

• Medicine

  A medicine degree trains you to diagnose, treat and prevent illness, combining medical science with supervised clinical work in hospitals and communities.

  4 linked careers

• Biomedical science

  A biomedical science degree teaches the biology of human health and disease, and how laboratory tests help doctors diagnose and treat patients.

  6 linked careers

• Biology

  A biology degree teaches how living things work, from molecules and cells to whole organisms and ecosystems.

  6 linked careers

• Chemistry

  A chemistry degree teaches how substances are built, how they react and how to make and analyse new materials, through theory and a lot of laboratory work.

  6 linked careers

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Do you need a licence to work as a doctor?

Medicine is a licensed profession in virtually every country. You must register with the national or state medical regulator before you can practise, usually after supervised training and licensing exams. Specialists often need a separate specialist registration. Many countries also require doctors to renew their licence regularly and show continuing education. Rules differ widely between countries, so always check the medical regulator where you want to work.

How much does a doctor earn?

Pay in the United States

• $244,180Median annual wage, May 2025
• $76,830–$428,550Range from the lowest-paid 10% to the highest-paid 10%
• 107.5KPeople employed in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, SOC 29-1215, May 2025. National estimates across all industries; excludes the self-employed.

Earnings of Professionals around the world

Most countries do not publish pay for single job titles. The International Labour Organization collects median monthly earnings for broad occupation groups instead. This career belongs to ISCO-08 major group 2, "Professionals". The table covers the whole group, which includes doctor and many other occupations.

Source: ILOSTAT, median monthly earnings of employees, latest year available. PPP$ adjusts for price differences between countries so figures can be compared. "vs all employees" compares the group's median with the median for all occupations in the same country.

Career progression

1. Intern, foundation doctor or junior resident
2. Resident or specialty trainee
3. Senior trainee or registrar
4. Consultant, attending physician or general practitioner
5. Clinical director or head of department

Job outlook

Ageing populations and more people living with long-term conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, keep demand for doctors high. Many health systems struggle to fill posts, especially in general practice and rural areas. Competition for training places in popular specialties can still be intense. AI tools are starting to help with diagnosis and paperwork, but they are expected to support doctors rather than replace them. Long hours and burnout are real risks in many countries.

Questions about becoming a doctor

How many years does it take to become a doctor?

Medical school typically takes five to six years as a first degree, or four years after a bachelor's degree in the United States and Canada. You then usually need at least a year of supervised practice before full registration. Specialist training adds several more years, so becoming a fully trained specialist often takes ten years or more from the start of university.

What subjects do you need to study medicine?

Most first-degree medical programmes ask for high grades in chemistry and usually biology, and many also value mathematics or physics. In the United States and Canada, medical schools usually expect set science courses, such as biology, general and organic chemistry and physics, during your bachelor's degree. Many schools also use admissions tests and interviews to assess reasoning, ethics and communication.

Can you study medicine after another degree?

Yes. In the United States and Canada, medicine is normally studied after a bachelor's degree, which can be in any subject if you complete the required science courses. The UK, Ireland, Australia and some other countries offer graduate-entry programmes, usually around four years long. Places are limited, and some programmes expect a science degree or experience in healthcare.

Is being a doctor stressful?

It can be. Doctors make serious decisions, often with incomplete information, and training usually involves long hours, night shifts and frequent moves between hospitals. Burnout is a recognised problem in many health systems. Many doctors still find the work deeply rewarding, and some specialties and general practice roles offer more predictable hours once training is complete.

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Sources

1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — SOC 29-1215, national estimates, May 2025
2. ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by occupation — ISCO-08 major groups, latest year per country
3. European Commission — ESCO occupation profile — ESCO code 2211.1

How to cite this page: CourseToJob (2026). How to become a doctor: degrees, skills and salary. https://coursetojob.com/careers/doctor/ (accessed September 26, 2026)

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