- knowledge of medicine
- science skills
- knowledge of psychology
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to use your judgement and make decisions
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
You may:
- speak to patients face to face, on the phone or online
- diagnose patients' symptoms
- prescribe medicines or recommend treatments
- carry out minor surgery
- give general health advice
- refer patients to specialist consultants for tests and further diagnosis
- work with other healthcare professionals in your practice
- make improvements to healthcare by doing research
- organise and lead clinics for specific groups of patients or medical conditions
- help to train junior doctors and other healthcare professionals
You could work at a GP practice, at a health centre or at a client's home.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You could move into medical work in hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, the police or the prison service.
You could work overseas or within a particular industry such as sport, business or the military.
You could work in education, teaching students training to be GPs or go into clinical research.
You might also get involved in local health issues, maybe as a member of a local medical committee or clinical commissioning group.
You can find out more about becoming a GP from Health Careers and the Royal College of General Practitioners.
