General practitioners (GPs) are doctors who treat and diagnose a variety of medical conditions. You’re often the first port of call for sick and injured patients. You’ll need excellent communication skills as you’ll be dealing with a variety of patients, from new-born babies’ right through to the elderly.
Your day-to-day tasks may include:
- making a diagnosis
- giving general advice
- prescribing medicine
- recommending treatment
- carrying out minor surgery
- referring patients to specialist consultants for tests and further diagnosis
What do I need to do to become a general practitioner?
You can get into this job through a university course.
You’ll need to complete:
- a 5-year degree in medicine, recognized by the General Medical Council
- a 2-year foundation course of general training
- a 3-year specialist training course in general practice
If you already have a degree in a science subject (minimum upper second), you could take an accelerated 4-year graduate entry programme.
You may be able to join a 6-year degree course in medicine if you have no science qualifications. This includes a one-year pre-medical or foundation year.
When you apply for a course in medicine, you could be asked to take the University Clinical Aptitude Test or Bio Medical Admissions Test. They test the skills you’ll need on the course, like critical thinking, problem solving, data analysis, communication and scientific knowledge.
Medical schools will also expect you to have some relevant paid or voluntary work experience. The British Medical Association has information on finding a placement.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 7 GCSEs, including sciences, with 5 subjects at grades 9 to 7 (A* or A) and English and maths at least grade 6 to 5 (B)
- 3 A levels at grade A in chemistry and either biology, physics or maths, plus another academic subject
How long does it take to become a general practitioner in South Africa?
Training is currently six years in total, with two years of internship and one year of community service.