You need a degree in medicine to become a doctor but it can also lead you into alternative careers in many areas including lecturing, research and scientific journalism

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Anaesthetist
• Cardiologist
• Clinical radiologist
• General practice doctor
• Hospital doctor
• Neurologist
• Ophthalmologist
• Pathologist
• Psychiatrist
• Surgeon

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Adult nurse
• Children's nurse
• Clinical scientist, genomics
• Epidemiologist
• Higher education lecturer
• International aid/development worker
• Medical sales representative
• Medical science liaison
• Mental health nurse
• Midwife
• Naturopath
• Paramedic
• Physician associate
• Research scientist (life sciences)
• Science writer

Work experience

It's a good idea to start developing your CV while you're still at university. You can improve your skills by undertaking voluntary work, getting involved in medical school societies or becoming an academic course or clinical representative.

Skills and experience can also be gained from taking an elective, which is a period of clinical experience taken during your degree. A lot of students who take an elective decide to go abroad, with many going to developing countries.

Typical employers

Most medical graduates go on to become doctors. Opportunities are available in both the NHS and private hospitals, as well as in NHS practice trusts as a GP.

There are also opportunities for those wishing to practise medicine in:

• the Armed Forces
• overseas aid agencies
• prisons
• research institutes
• clinical trial organisations
• private healthcare establishments
• residential nursing homes
• air ambulance services
• university teaching.

Skills for your CV

As well as the vocational skills you acquire when undertaking a degree in medicine, you also develop a range of other transferable skills through your course, such as:

• critical appraisal
• observation
• listening and communication
• logical reasoning and problem-solving
• decision making
• teamworking and leadership
• time-management.