Why become a GP?
General Practice is a challenging, rewarding and varied vocation that combines great prospects with stability, family-friendly working hours and great career opportunities.
As the the first point of contact for patients needing medical attention, working in General Practice requires an immense breadth of knowledge, personal skills and the willingness to continue with your education every day of your working life.
You become part of the local community
The work is more patient and community-oriented than may other areas of medicine. We are there for our patients and their families in their hour of need. We get to see them grow up, progress through life and perhaps start families of their own.
Furthermore, many practicing GPs point to the sheer variety as one of the key things they enjoy about their work – you simply never know what you will be dealing with next.
Job satisfaction
There are few jobs that can be more satisfying than general practice. The work can be hard and the hours may be long, but you have the opportunity to develop long-term relationships with your patients that can span more than one generation.
Flexibility and portfolio careers
Being a GP opens doors to a wide range of opportunities and careers. Being effectively equipped to be a solo doctor anywhere means your career could take you anywhere, from being a ship doctor, joining the military, providing emergency humanitarian assistance, through to medical journalism, health planning and even politics.
Many GPs also choose to work one day per week in hospital, giving them the opportunity to specialise is a particular field of interest.
Career stability
Becoming a GP allows you enjoy a relatively high income early in your career. The majority of graduate trainees find employment with trust practices in the NHS as salaried doctors.
Many GPs aspire to become a partner within a surgery, meaning they can enjoy being your own boss, although this does mean that a larger proportion of working life is spent on non-clinical activities, such as administration and business management.
To learn more, click to visit the Royal College of General Practitioners website or watch the following video