Requirements

Medical practitioner - requirements

Medical practitioners, or doctors and consultants, are medical professionals who are tasked with the diagnosis, care and treatment of their patients. Learn more about a career in this field, find out what it involves and what you’ll need to study and do to get a role.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

What qualifications do you need to be a medical practitioner?

A degree in medicine is essential. Subjects to consider include:

Optometry

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Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be a medical practitioner?

You're likely to need a postgraduate qualification for most medical practitioner roles.

Examples of taught MAs and research degrees at postgraduate level include MAs in:

General medicine
Cardiovascular medicine
Biomedical informatics

What skills do you need to be a medical practitioner?

Becoming a medical practitioner is a challenging experience and requires determination and resilience.

Hard skills usually include:

Thorough knowledge of biology, anatomy and medicine
Report writing
Scientific proficiency
Computer skills and knowledge of relevant software

Soft skills include:

Empathy and kindness
Communication
Knowledge of psychology
Active listening skills
Counselling skills
Non-judgemental attitude
Ability to perform under pressure

Do you need work experience to be a medical practitioner?

Work experience in a medical setting is helpful for both the application process and for your own expectations of what the demands of the job will be like. Experience can be gained through medical observation, volunteering and healthcare roles.

Most medical schools will expect an example of relevant paid or voluntary work experience on your application. These experiences can be found through the British Medical Association (BMA), Volunteer England or your local NHS trust.