How to become a generalist medical practitioner
Official title: Generalist medical practitioners
Also called: Medical doctor, Medical adviser, Medical officer, Medical examiner, General practitioner, Medical practitioner, Medical superintendent, General medical practitioner, Registered medical practitioner, Gp registrar, Junior doctor, House officer
Generalist medical practitioners diagnose mental and physical injuries, disorders and diseases, prescribe and give treatment, recommend preventative action, and conduct medical education and research activities. They work in hospitals or in general practice and, where necessary, refer the patient to a specialist.
Main tasks
- Examines patient, arranges for any necessary x-rays or other tests and interprets results
- Diagnoses condition and prescribes and/or administers appropriate treatment
- Administers medical tests and inoculations against communicable diseases
- Supervises patient’s progress and advises on diet, exercise and other preventative action
- Refers patient to specialist where necessary and liaises with specialist
- Prepares and delivers lectures, undertakes research, and conducts and participates in clinical trials
- Supervises the implementation of care and treatment plans by other healthcare providers
How to become one
Entrants require a university degree from a medical school recognised by the General Medical Council followed by two years of pre-registration training as a house officer. Some medical schools operate graduate entry schemes. Once the pre-registration period as house officer is completed, further postgraduate training in a general practice training programme is completed
Ways in
- Apprenticeship (England): Clinical scientist (level 7). England. Typically 36 months. Skills England standard ST0893.
- University: Medicine & Dentistry degrees, Offered by 21 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £55,494 a year The middle half earn £43,727 to £68,946.
- About 199,500 people work in this job now, and about 218,700 are projected by 2035. (+9.6%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a generalist medical practitioner?
Entrants require a university degree from a medical school recognised by the General Medical Council followed by two years of pre-registration training as a house officer. Some medical schools operate graduate entry schemes. Once the pre-registration period as house officer is completed, further postgraduate training in a general practice training programme is completed
How much does a generalist medical practitioner earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £55,494 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £43,727 to £68,946.
Is a generalist medical practitioner a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 199,500 to about 218,700 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a generalist medical practitioner?
Usually. 96% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.