Hospital doctor

Work activities

• Undertaking patient consultations and physical examinations.
• Performing surgical procedures.
• Providing general pre- and post-operative care.
• Monitoring and administering medication and intravenous infusions.
• Assessing and planning treatment requirements.
• Liaising with hospital staff including other doctors and healthcare professionals.
• Undertaking general administrative tasks – writing reports, maintaining records, promoting health education etc.

Work conditions

Travel: can be a feature.

Working hours: are often long and unsociable; usually based on rotas.

Location: hospitals throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Typical employers

• HSE
• NHS
• Private sector hospitals

Entry requirements

Republic of Ireland: The traditional route into a medical career is an undergraduate medical degree. Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) offers a pathway for graduates with at least a 2.1 in any discipline. The RCSI Graduate Entry Programme is an accelerated four-year medical programme. Candidates for admission must also sit the Graduate Australian Medical School Admission Test (GAMSAT).

A newly qualified doctor in the Republic of Ireland applies for a Health Service intern post at an approved hospital. After completing the Intern Year, full medical registration can be obtained. The Medical Council regulates medical practitioners in the Republic of Ireland.

Northern Ireland: most medical students in the UK take an undergraduate course leading to a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. This take five to six years and leads to one of the following qualifications: MBBS; MBBS/BSc; MBChB; MBBCh; BMBS. These are normally referred to as a "first MB".

The Centre for Medical Education at Queen’s University Belfast is open to undergraduates and graduates: at least a 2.1 Honours Degree is required, as well as a minimum of 3Bs in the specific subject requirements at A-level. All applicants in Northern Ireland are required to sit the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) Applications are made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).