# What can you do with a Medicine degree?

> Source: https://coursetojob.co.uk/courses/medicine/ — updated 2026-09-25. Published by CourseToJob (independent; not affiliated with UCAS, HESA or GOV.UK).

**Quick answer:** A Medicine degree commonly leads to roles such as foundation Year 1 doctor, foundation Year 2 doctor and academic Foundation Programme doctor. Five years after graduating, Medicine graduates had median earnings of £56,400 (middle half: £48,500–£67,000), and 92.2% were in sustained work or further study (DfE LEO, 2023–24 tax year). The largest employer sector for Medicine and dentistry graduates is health and social work (84.1% of those in work).

Medicine is a professional course with a separate UCAS path, not a generic BA. UK practice then follows foundation training.

## What jobs can you get with a Medicine degree?

- **Foundation Year 1 doctor**: Works in approved UK foundation posts after graduation and GMC processes, not as an unsupervised consultant. Skills often asked for: clerking, prescribing under supervision, handover.
- **Foundation Year 2 doctor**. Skills often asked for: acute rotas, portfolio evidence, teaching juniors.
- **Academic Foundation Programme doctor**. Skills often asked for: protected research time, audit, clinical duties.

## Where do Medicine graduates work?

Medicine and dentistry graduates in UK employment five years after graduating, by industry (DfE LEO industry data, tax year 2023–24; shares calculated by CourseToJob from DfE's rounded counts).

| Industry | Share of graduates in work | Median earnings |
|---|---|---|
| Health and social work | 84.1% | £56,200 |
| Public administration and defence | 3.5% | £62,200 |
| Education | 1.6% | £53,100 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 1.3% | £62,600 |
| Administrative and support services | 0.9% | £64,400 |
| Information and communication | 0.5% | £43,900 |
| Wholesale and retail | 0.3% | £40,300 |
| Hospitality (accommodation and food) | 0.1% | Not published |

## How much do Medicine graduates earn?

UK-domiciled first-degree graduates in Medicine (non-specific) (CAH01-01-02). Source: DfE LEO CAH level 3 subject data, tax year 2023–24 (https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/d8bc2906-419e-40ef-ad8e-9b2ccd3997dc). Each row is a different graduating cohort.

| Years after graduating | Graduated | Median earnings | Middle half | In work or further study | All-graduate median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021/2022 | £43,600 | £39,900–£52,300 | 97.3% | £26,400 |
| 3 | 2019/2020 | £51,600 | £42,800–£61,500 | 92.2% | £30,000 |
| 5 | 2017/2018 | £56,400 | £48,500–£67,000 | 92.2% | £33,700 |
| 10 | 2012/2013 | £66,200 | £46,500–£85,600 | 88.4% | — |

## Which universities have the highest-earning Medicine and dentistry graduates?

Median earnings five years after graduating, universities with at least 50 graduates measured (DfE LEO provider-level data, 2023–24). Not a quality ranking.

| University | Median earnings | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| [University of Dundee](https://coursetojob.co.uk/universities/university-of-dundee/) | £63,000 | 215 |
| [University of Aberdeen](https://coursetojob.co.uk/universities/university-of-aberdeen/) | £62,200 | 145 |
| [University of Glasgow](https://coursetojob.co.uk/universities/university-of-glasgow/) | £61,900 | 345 |
| [University of Cambridge](https://coursetojob.co.uk/universities/university-of-cambridge/) | £61,100 | 160 |
| [University of York](https://coursetojob.co.uk/universities/university-of-york/) | £61,100 | 60 |
| [University of Edinburgh](https://coursetojob.co.uk/universities/university-of-edinburgh/) | £60,900 | 185 |
| [University of Plymouth](https://coursetojob.co.uk/universities/university-of-plymouth/) | £59,300 | 125 |
| [King's College London](https://coursetojob.co.uk/universities/kings-college-london/) | £58,200 | 540 |
| [University of Southampton](https://coursetojob.co.uk/universities/university-of-southampton/) | £58,200 | 215 |
| [University of East Anglia](https://coursetojob.co.uk/universities/university-of-east-anglia/) | £57,800 | 120 |

## Is Medicine the right degree for you?

You may enjoy it if:
- You want a long professional course with clinical placements from an early stage.
- You can work with uncertainty, responsibility, and shift patterns.
- You accept that registration depends on more than the undergraduate years.

It may not suit you if:
- You wanted a three-year campus social-science degree.
- You dislike exams, OSCEs, or being observed with patients.
- You expected a generic graduate job board to be the main next step.

## Interview questions for Medicine graduate roles

UK foundation posts are allocated through a national process, not a typical graduate-scheme interview. The prompts below are editorial illustrations of the communication and judgement the work requires, not official foundation or royal-college questions.

- You are asked to take a history from a frightened patient. How do you start? (What it tests: Consent, introductions, and listening before you fire a checklist.)
- A result is back and you do not fully understand it. What do you do before you act? (What it tests: You ask; you do not bluff a senior or the patient.)
- Night handover is noisy and incomplete. How do you make it safe? (What it tests: You structure what you know, what you do not, and who is sickest.)
- A relative wants a prognosis you cannot give. How do you answer? (What it tests: Honesty about uncertainty and who will speak to them.)
- You think a prescription looks wrong. What is your next step? (What it tests: You stop and check. Hierarchy does not outrank safety.)

## Frequently asked questions

### What jobs can you do with a Medicine degree?

Common starting roles include foundation Year 1 doctor, foundation Year 2 doctor and academic Foundation Programme doctor. Five years after graduating, the most common sectors for Medicine and dentistry graduates in work were health and social work (84.1%), public administration and defence (3.5%) and education (1.6%). These are examples, not guaranteed jobs: your experience, location and further training matter.

### How much do Medicine graduates earn in the UK?

DfE Longitudinal Education Outcomes data for the 2023–24 tax year shows median earnings for UK-domiciled Medicine graduates of £43,600 one year after graduating, £51,600 three years after graduating, £56,400 five years after graduating and £66,200 ten years after graduating. Each figure describes a different graduating cohort, not one person's pay rise, and it is gross pay for those in sustained employment, not a starting salary offer.

### Is a Medicine degree worth it?

It depends on what you want to do. On the official data, 92.2% of Medicine graduates were in sustained employment or further study five years after graduating, with median earnings of £56,400. For comparison, the median across all first-degree graduates of GB higher education institutions was £33,700 at the same point. That places Medicine 4 of 146 subject groups by five-year median earnings. Earnings are only one factor: enjoyment of the subject, accreditation and the route into your target job matter too.

### Which universities have the highest-earning Medicine and dentistry graduates?

Among universities in our index with at least 50 graduates measured, the highest five-year median earnings for Medicine and dentistry were at University of Dundee (£63,000), University of Aberdeen (£62,200) and University of Glasgow (£61,900). These figures reflect entry grades, subject mix and where graduates work, so they are not a measure of teaching quality.

### Can international students study Medicine in the UK?

Yes, most UK universities accept international applicants, but entry requirements, recognised qualifications, English-language evidence and overseas tuition fees depend on the university and programme. Check the university course page and international admissions team, then check visa requirements on GOV.UK.


Apply for undergraduate courses on UCAS: https://www.ucas.com/explore/search/courses?query=Medicine