Paediatrician

In this role you could:

• assess children who are ill, injured or have disabilities
•  refer patients to specialist consultants for tests
•  prescribe medication, surgery or therapies
•  explain diagnosis and treatments to parents and children
•  write patient notes, monitor progress and produce medical reports
•  supervise and train junior medical staff

• knowledge of medicine and dentistry
• sensitivity and understanding
• counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
• thinking and reasoning skills
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• customer service skills
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• excellent verbal communication skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

You can get into this job through a university course or an apprenticeship.

With experience you could:

• become a senior consultant, once you're on the General Medical Council Specialist Register
•  lead a team or manage a department
•  become medical director for an NHS trust
•  move into teaching students, trainee doctors and other healthcare professionals

As a specialist or senior consultant you can expect to earn a much higher salary.