What does a Doctor (Foundation → Specialty) actually do?

The short version

Doctors diagnose, prescribe and carry legal responsibility for patient care — on a training ladder that genuinely takes a decade before the consultant-level pay arrives. GMC registration is mandatory and every route runs through a medical degree plus two foundation years.

The pitch: the most intellectually serious and secure clinical career there is, with published national pay scales and a steep late-career rise. The catch: a long low-paid plateau through your twenties, rotational relocation, nights and exams — and the AI exposure concentrates exactly in the diagnostic specialties people find most appealing.

Entry routes that actually work

• Standard medical degree (5 years) — A-levels + UCAT + interviews; competitive but default.
• Graduate entry medicine (4 years) — for people who already hold a degree.
• Widening-access programmes (6 years) — for candidates without standard A-level profiles.