Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Assisting and Caring for Others Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Documenting/Recording Information Entering, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Analysing Data or Information Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events Identifying information by categorising, estimating, recognising differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

The Work

A Doctors or General Practitioners apply medical knowledge and skill to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases, disorders and injuries. They talk to patients to find out what symptoms they have, for example, whereabouts they feel pain, and look at notes which tell them which illnesses the patient has had before.  
 
They try to find out as much as possible about the patient by taking their blood pressure, listening to their heart and taking many other different measurements to try and work out what is wrong with them. A doctor is really like a detective - piecing together lots of evidence in order to make a diagnosis.  
 
When they know what is wrong with the patient, they decide on the best way to treat them. This may involve giving medicine or operating. Doctors are supported by a team of health care workers, such as nurses.  
 
The specific work activities of a doctor depend on whether they have chosen to be a general practitioner (GP), surgeon or physician.

General Practioner 

GPs are responsible for the diagnoses and treatment of a wide range of illnesses. They work in the primary care sector and attend to patients either in their surgery or in the patient's home. They examine and talk to their patients, give advice on health issues and, when necessary, refer their patients for tests.

They prescribe medicines, issue certificates an keep case notes documenting the long term health history of a patient. They also educate their patients on healthy living, proper diets and preventative measures to guard against infection.

GPs are usually on an on-call rota, when they may have to go and visit a patient at their home at any time during the day or night. In rural areas, this may involve a lot of driving. GP cooperatives are initiatives to provide out-of-hours cover by different methods in different areas of the country. Cooperatives are managed by members for members in an attempt to reduce the onerous on-call commitment of GPs.

Physicians and Surgeons

Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests. They counsel patients on diet, hygiene, and preventive healthcare. Surgeons operate on patients to treat injuries, such as broken bones; diseases, such as cancerous tumors; and deformities, such as cleft palates.

Many doctors work long and irregular hours and spend time on-call, in case of emergencies. They can also specialise in particular areas such as Pathology, Paediatrics and Cardiology. General Practitioner, Surgeon and Consultants are just some of the areas that a doctor can specialise into.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Analyse records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.
• Treat internal disorders, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or problems of the lung, brain, kidney, or gastrointestinal tract.
• Prescribe or administer medication, therapy, and other specialised medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
• Manage and treat common health problems, such as infections, influensa or pneumonia, as well as serious, chronic, and complex illnesses, in adolescents, adults, and the elderly.
• Provide and manage long-term, comprehensive medical care, including diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases, for adult patients in an office or hospital.
• Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
• Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
• Make diagnoses when different illnesses occur together or in situations where the diagnosis may be obscure.
• Refer patient to medical specialist or other practitioner when necessary.
• Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.

Further Information

• Doctor / GP - from: N.C.S. [UK]
• Doctor / GP - from: GradIreland
• Doctor / GP - from: N.C.S. [UK]
• Doctor / GP - from: N.C.S. [UK]
• Doctor / GP - from: GradIreland

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Investigative

The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.

Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

Realist

Realists are usually interested in 'things' - such as buildings, mechanics, equipment, tools, electronics etc. Their primary focus is dealing with these - as in building, fixing, operating or designing them. Involvement in these areas leads to high manual skills, or a fine aptitude for practical design - as found in the various forms of engineering.

Realists like to find practical solutions to problems using tools, technology and skilled work. Realists usually prefer to be active in their work environment, often do most of their work alone, and enjoy taking decisive action with a minimum amount of discussion and paperwork.

A general practitioner is a medical graduate who gives personal, primary and continuing care to individuals, families and a practice population, irrespective of age, gender and illness; it is the synthesis of these functions which is unique.

GPs attend patients in consulting rooms, in patients’ homes and sometimes in clinics or hospital settings. Their aim is to make early diagnosis. GPs will include and integrate physical, psychological and social factors in their considerations about health and illness.

Training & Development 

GAMSAT Graduate entry to medicine, HPAT direct non graduate entry is possible to medicine

CAO Higher Education entry: Medicine, Medicine - Graduate entry, Podiatric Medicine at NFQ level 8 search CAO Courses search CAO coursefinder

Degree courses include subjects such as anatomy, physiology, and the psychology and sociology of health and illness. This academic study is combined with extended periods of clinical practice at local general practices and teaching hospitals.

It takes four to six years of university education and training to become a medical doctor, following which, the newly-qualified doctor spends one year as an intern or house officer in a teaching hospital. Following their intern year a junior doctor then usually enters a specialised training scheme.  

The Training Pathway to become a GP is as follows:

Step 1: Medical School, 4-6 years 

Step 2: Intern Year, 1 year

Step 3: Specialist Training Programme, 4 years

The General Practice Training Programme is run by the Irish College of General Practitioners.

See below some useful PDF's to help start you on your journey to a career in medicine.

• The Road to Getting into Medicine Map
• FINANCIAL SUPPORT + SCHOLARSHIPS DATABASE
• FREE HPAT RESOURCES
• FREE UK APPLICATION RESOURCES
• MATURE ENTRY 101 GUIDE
• FREE GAMSAT RESOURCES
• HPAT SECTION 2 VOCAB LIST

Last Updated: October, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €45k - €125k

Salaries vary based on employer, location, experience, duties, and role. 

Data Source(s):
HSE/ Payscale/ Indeed

Last Updated: August, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This occupation has been identified as a Job in Demand by the most recent National Skills Bulletin.

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

The annual average employment growth for medical practitioners was slightly above average over the five-year period, with strong growth between 2021 and 2022. Almost 30% of those employed in this occupation were non-Irish citizens, with employment permits still acting as a source of supply of skills; over 2,100 new permits were issued in 2022 across a range of specialities. Supply from the third level education system is set to expand by 200 additional places by 2026 (beginning with an increase of 60 places each in 2022 and 2023). Given the duration of medical training, however, this increased supply is not expected to have an impact on the labour market in the short-to-medium term.

Issues in relation to GPs are being addressed with an announcement that the number of GP training places will be increased to 350 in 2024 from 258 in 2022 and an expansion of the non-EU GP Training Scheme from 50 to 250 by the end of 2024.43 However, the increasing demand for medical practitioners as a result of factors such as the rollout of the Sláintecare Action Plan, the ageing population and the tackling of the lengthy waiting lists (exacerbated as a result of COVID-19) will result in continued shortages for this occupation.

Shortages have been reported for GP's.

• Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

  • Frederick House, 19 South Federick Street Dublin 2
  • (01) 8639700
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Irish College of General Practitioners

  • 4/5 Lincoln Place, Dublin 2
  • (01) 676 3705
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Public Appointments Service

  • Chapter House, 26/30 Abbey Street Upper, Dublin 1, D01 C7W6
  • (01) 858 7400 or Local: 1890 44 9999
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Irish Medical Organisation

  • 10 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2
  • (01) 676 7273
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Health Service Executive (HSE)

  • Dr Steevens' Hospital, Steevens Lane, Dublin, 8
  • 041 685 0300
  • Click Here

• Irish Medical Council

  • Kingram House, Kingram Place, Dublin, 2
  • (01) 498 3100
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Irish Society of Clinical Microbiologists (ISCM)

  • [email protected]
  • Click Here