Why choose General Practice?

A doctor for everyone

A GP is a doctor who cares for everyone in the community. You'll see patients of all ages, from babies to older people, and treat a wide range of health problems. For example, you might:

• help a patient manage their chronic illness
• review someone’s hypertension medication
• assess a child’s minor injury and provide wound care advice to their parent or caregiver
• refer a patient with a complex skin condition to a dermatologist
• offer mental health support to a patient 

This breadth of work makes the role exciting and rewarding, showcasing the diverse skills of a GP.

Explore a GP practice in 360 degrees.

Benefits of being a GP in Scotland

Our vision is for a GP career in Scotland to combine professional satisfaction with a great lifestyle.

Career flexibility

General Practice offers the flexibility to design a career that evolves with you. You can:

• work as a salaried GP
• become a GP partner, sharing ownership of a practice
• work as a locum GP to gain experience in different settings
• build a varied portfolio career, combining clinical work with other interests

Over time, you can grow your expertise by becoming a GP educator to guide and inspire our future doctors. You can also train as a GP with an extended role (GPwER) to provide more indepth care in areas like dermatology or diabetes.

Structured GP Fellowships are also an excellent way to develop advanced skills within the First5 phase of your career.

Discover more about your GP career options.

Managing your working week

General Practice can give you more control over your schedule than many other medical specialties. Although GPs often work beyond clinic hours to manage administrative tasks, the structure of the working day is more self-directed.

Outside of your practice’s opening times, a dedicated system is in place to support patients. NHS 24 will refer people to their local:

• GP out-of-hours service
• minor injuries unit
• mental health service
• pharmacy
• accident and emergency

This also creates opportunities to design a career that fits you. You could supplement your regular practice with out-of-hours shifts or work in an OOH service full-time.

Continuity of care

Many doctors choose General Practice for the meaningful connections they build with people. Over time, you'll get to know your patients and their families and become a trusted and familiar face within your community. This special relationship, called continuity of care, is very rewarding.

Diverse practice environments

In Scotland, you can choose to work in lively city centres, peaceful rural areas, or remote island communities. Each setting offers its own unique challenges and rewards, keeping your work engaging.

Strong team support

As a GP, you’ll be part of a warm, friendly, and supportive multidisciplinary team. You’ll collaborate with other doctors, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, and healthcare support workers to provide high-quality person-centred care for patients. Teamwork like this also creates a reliable support network for you.

Challenges of working in general practice

Like any job, General Practice has its challenges. GPs manage a busy workload, and you need a broad knowledge of many different health conditions.

However, this is where a GP's core skill really shines. You’ll become confident in managing the uncertainty of a patient's early, undiagnosed symptoms.

This means you'll learn to:

• see whole person, not just a single condition
• provide care that considers all aspects of the patient’s health
• guide the patient to the right specialist at the right time

The challenges are demanding, but the rewards of being a GP are greater.

A career you can be proud of

If you want a medical career that’s both intellectually stimulating and emotionally rewarding, general practice could be for you. You'll become a vital part of your community, making a genuine difference in people's lives.

The value of the general practitioner report

A recent RCGP Scotland report highlights the unique value of the GP in providing whole-person medical care, which leads to better patient outcomes. It confirms that strong general practice is essential to the future of the NHS in Scotland.

Download the RCGP report: The value of the general practitioner [PDF].