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What makes a good doctor?
What doctors do
A doctor is someone who cares for people's health. You'll find out what's making a person sick or injured and help them get better. It's a role where you can make a positive difference to people's lives.
What you’ll do each day
You'll examine patients and ask them about their symptoms. You might also order blood tests, X-rays, and MRIs to understand what's going on. Once you know the problem, you'll diagnose it and plan the right treatment.
Treating a patient can mean giving medicines, doing procedures or performing operations. You'll also give advice on healthy habits to stop future medical problems from happening. It's a caring profession where you help people stay healthy or recover when they're ill.
Where you'll work
You'll work in many different places and teams. You might be a general practitioner in a local clinic helping people who feel unwell. Or you might work in a hospital if your patients need more specific care.
You won't be on your own. You'll team up with nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and lots of other staff. Everyone works together to give patients the best possible care.
Don't know which role to look at first?
Answer a few quick questions about how you'd like to work. It's a quick interactive tool that suggests an area to start with, and there aren't any right or wrong answers.
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What types of doctor work in the NHS?
There are over 60 medical specialties in NHS Scotland. We've grouped them into 4 main types so they're much easier to explore.
Discover types of doctor