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Want to become a doctor, what would my education look like?

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(edited 2 months ago)
Hey there, thanks for posting a question in the Medicine forum. :biggrin:

The Medicine forum gets a high volume of questions being posted, and some of these are already answered by the resources and Megathreads that members of the community and volunteers have created. This is an automatic post which is designed to highlight these resources. Below is a list of threads and articles that could answer your question (you should be looking in the original post of the megathreads). If one of the below threads is a more relevant place to ask your question, please post a reply in that thread to ask your question. If your query is answered by one of the Megathreads or articles linked below, and you would like us to close this thread for you, please reply to this thread with just the words "thank you". A member of our team will then get it locked.

Megathreads
(Please read the first post, before then posting any further questions you have within that thread.)
The "Which Medical School Should I Apply To?" Uberthread
The Ultimate 'Am I Good Enough For Medicine?' Angst Thread
Medicine A-Level subjects queries
Work Experience and Voluntary Work

2023 Applicants:
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2023 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2023 Entry
Medicine 2023 entry for resit / retake / gap year applicants
A100 Medicine for International Students 2023 Entry
Medicine Interview discussion 2023 Entry
2023 entry A100 / A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Index of Individual Medical School Applicants' threads 2023 Entry

2024 Applicants :
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2024 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2024 Entry
GAMSAT 2024 / 2025 entry discussions megathread
UCAT 2024 Entry Discussions Megathread

Other application years:
Graduate Entry Medicine 2025 Entry
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2025 Entry

Useful Articles:
GCSE Requirements for Medicine
Everything you need to know about the BMAT
Work Experience as a Graduate or Mature student
Medicine Personal Statement Advice
Medicine Personal Statement Advice (Graduate Entry)
Interview Frequently Asked Questions
MMI Medicine Interview Tips
What to do after an unsuccessful first application

If your query is answered by one of the Megathreads or articles linked above, and you would like us to close this thread for you, please reply to this thread with just the words "thank you". A member of our team will then get it locked.
Original post by TSR Hippocrates
Hey there, thanks for posting a question in the Medicine forum. :biggrin:

The Medicine forum gets a high volume of questions being posted, and some of these are already answered by the resources and Megathreads that members of the community and volunteers have created. This is an automatic post which is designed to highlight these resources. Below is a list of threads and articles that could answer your question (you should be looking in the original post of the megathreads). If one of the below threads is a more relevant place to ask your question, please post a reply in that thread to ask your question. If your query is answered by one of the Megathreads or articles linked below, and you would like us to close this thread for you, please reply to this thread with just the words "thank you". A member of our team will then get it locked.

Megathreads
(Please read the first post, before then posting any further questions you have within that thread.)
The "Which Medical School Should I Apply To?" Uberthread
The Ultimate 'Am I Good Enough For Medicine?' Angst Thread
Medicine A-Level subjects queries
Work Experience and Voluntary Work

2023 Applicants:
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2023 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2023 Entry
Medicine 2023 entry for resit / retake / gap year applicants
A100 Medicine for International Students 2023 Entry
Medicine Interview discussion 2023 Entry
2023 entry A100 / A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Index of Individual Medical School Applicants' threads 2023 Entry

2024 Applicants :
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2024 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2024 Entry
GAMSAT 2024 / 2025 entry discussions megathread
UCAT 2024 Entry Discussions Megathread

Other application years:
Graduate Entry Medicine 2025 Entry
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2025 Entry

Useful Articles:
GCSE Requirements for Medicine
Everything you need to know about the BMAT
Work Experience as a Graduate or Mature student
Medicine Personal Statement Advice
Medicine Personal Statement Advice (Graduate Entry)
Interview Frequently Asked Questions
MMI Medicine Interview Tips
What to do after an unsuccessful first application

If your query is answered by one of the Megathreads or articles linked above, and you would like us to close this thread for you, please reply to this thread with just the words "thank you". A member of our team will then get it locked.

When i click the gcse requirements for medicine, it sends me to some university directory which i cant find the gcse requirements for medicine in
Reply 3
The next step after college is university, where you will do a medical degree. This is where you will learn how to be a doctor. You don't need a masters degree of PhD to be a medical doctor in the uK.
(edited 9 months ago)
Original post by black tea
The next step after college is university, where you will do a medical degree. This is where you will learn how to be a doctor. You do need a masters degree of PhD to be a medical doctor in the uK.

Cool, you summed it up nicely! Thank you!
Original post by black tea
The next step after college is university, where you will do a medical degree. This is where you will learn how to be a doctor. You do need a masters degree of PhD to be a medical doctor in the uK.

You don’t need a phd to become a doctor? To become a doctor you go to medical school for around 5/6 years then you do your 2 foundation year training then choose what you want to specialise In
Reply 6
Original post by Anonymous_7871
You don’t need a phd to become a doctor? To become a doctor you go to medical school for around 5/6 years then you do your 2 foundation year training then choose what you want to specialise In

No, you don't
Original post by Anonymous_7871
You don’t need a phd to become a doctor? To become a doctor you go to medical school for around 5/6 years then you do your 2 foundation year training then choose what you want to specialise In

But where is medical school? Is it IN university or is it completely separate?
Original post by School_Student99

But where is medical school? Is it IN university or is it completely separate?


it will be in your university of choice, it’s just like a normal uni course
Original post by miamcniven
it will be in your university of choice, it’s just like a normal uni course

ohh ok that makes sense, thank you!
Original post by School_Student99
But where is medical school? Is it IN university or is it completely separate?

Do you live in the UK?. Yeah like mentioned above it’s a normal course. Don’t need to do masters or PHD
(edited 9 months ago)
Original post by School_Student99
I don't know the differences between degrees, master degrees, PHD's, etc. I am currently y10 doing 9 gcses average predicted 7, and I am working extremely hard: say for the sake of this that I get 8/9s. I know I go to college and do A levels, (biology, chemistry and maths most likely), and then what is next after college? University? What type of qualification do I do first at University, and when do I actually learn HOW to be a doctor?

Need this cleared up, thanks!

As stated elsewhere in this thread, to become a medical doctor you need one qualification: a medical degree (also known as a primary medical qualification). In the UK this is called an MBBS/MBChB/BMBS/similar things. It's an undergraduate qualification which you can apply to as a school leaver during your A-levels, and you will be provided much more information around this at the time.

You don't need a masters degree or a PhD (at the outset anyway). Both of those would come after (or in certain cases, during) your medical degree anyway. You also don't need (and shouldn't aim to do) any other undergraduate degree first - aim for standard entry medicine for school leavers (if you need to take a gap year and reapply +/- resits then that's fine!).

Maths isn't required by any medical school specifically, and only one medical school requires your third A-level subject to be a STEM subject in order to be competitive at all (which is Cambridge). You can do biology, chemistry, and whatever you want as the third subject (provided it is in fact an A-level and not e.g. a BTEC, a WJEC certificate, etc). Pick whatever you think you'll do best in for your third subject - you just need an A or an A*, it doesn't matter what the subject is.

As you're in year 10 just focus on doing well in your GCSEs, then come back in a couple years when you have started your A-levels already :smile:
Original post by School_Student99
But where is medical school? Is it IN university or is it completely separate?

The medical school is a faculty/school/department of the university (terminology varies). They're just referred to as the medical school by convention. Any university offering a medicine degree may be referred to as a medical school in the context of medical degrees and studying medicine.
(edited 9 months ago)
Original post by artful_lounger
The medical school is a faculty/school/department of the university (terminology varies). They're just referred to as the medical school by convention. Any university offering a medicine degree may be referred to as a medical school in the context of medical degrees and studying medicine.

Ok cool, thanks for the great answer!

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