With over 350 health-related roles, there are opportunities for people with all levels of qualification. Some careers involve close contact with patients, whereas others are behind-the-scenes jobs. 

While the NHS is the main employer of medical and healthcare staff (it's one of the biggest employers in the world!), there are also opportunities in the private sector, with charities etc. In recent years there's been a shift from NHS-provided to NHS-funded healthcare, with private healthcare companies, social enterprises etc contracting to deliver certain health services. 

Although many health and medical workers are based in hospitals, there are increasing opportunities in the community, e.g. visiting patients in their homes, or working at GP surgeries, health centres and clinics. Those in areas like dentistry, pharmacy and optical work can often choose whether to work in hospitals or community practices. Depending on the role, there may also be the chance to work in schools, prisons, sports institutions, social care settings, the Armed Forces and in industry (e.g. with pharmaceutical or medical engineering firms).

In some career areas you can work on a self-employed basis, set up your own practice or work as a locum. Those with experience sometimes enter advisory work, teaching, research or media careers.

Below you'll find links to videos created by employers and organisations in the sector to help you get a taste of what working in this sector is like.

Latest News:

Learn more about the new Medical Doctor Degree degree apprenticeship here.

Have you thought about becoming an NHS Reservist? From experienced clinicians to students looking to gain experience. The NHS are seeking anyone aged 18+ who would like to earn extra money and help their local NHS. The varied roles means that they have something for everyone.

NHS Medical Doctor Degree Apprenticeships:
The NHS recruitment and training body, Health Education England (HEE), has confirmed funding for a new Medical Doctor Degree Apprenticeship in January. Further details: NHS doctor apprenticeships: Everything you need to know 

Videos:

350 Careers. One NHS. Your Future: Hear from NHS Health Careers' Abigail Changer, careers information and quality lead, on what opportunities there are for students and young people in the NHS.

Non-clinical NHS Careers 

Lots of great stuff on the NHS YouTube channel

Exploring Careers in Health and Social Care. A quick run through some of the many careers in health and social care from the East Sussex Primary Careers Hub.

National Careers Week TV A few videos of various roles within the NHS

Working in care, a day in the life of Chelsea: In this video, you will learn more about the sector of Health and Social Care.

Social care careers Six people chat about their roles as social care workers: They all have different roles in the caring profession and discuss what motivates them and the value of a rewarding career in social care.

Subject Guide Videos:
An impartial guide to university courses - featuring expert speakers and on demand webinars.
These impartial videos support students who are considering university to make informed future subject decisions. They feature guest speakers from a range of different universities, who are always experts in the subject being explored.

Sir Patrick Vallance speaks to medical and STEM graduates during a Live Q&A session about his remarkable career journey and the amazing array of career opportunities in the health sector.

Explore bright futures at Buckinghamshire Healthcare trust
Hear from health care workers across Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) about their jobs. What do they do? How did they get into the role? What skills do they need? What do they love about their job?

Information on Physiotherapy 

Events/Conferences/Courses:

Medic Portal Aspire 

Scrubbed Up 

Medschools

Insight Days 

UCAT Courses 

BMAT Courses 

Oxford University podcast related to Physiotherapy 

Talks at Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences 

NHS Physiotherapy 

Adviza Podcasts and Past Webinars:

Podcasts for Healthcare

We have recorded many useful webinars with a huge variety of employers and sector champions. Have a look in our Past Webinar section.

The webinars are in date order. You may want to check out these dates to find webinars in relation to Healthcare: 

• 9th May 2023 - Sector Webinar - Food Science & Technology
• 2nd May 2023 - Sector Webinar - Social Work
• 16th January 2023 - Careers in the Pharmaceutical Industry.
• 12th November 2021 - Employer Webinar (NHS)

Don't forget to have a look at the upcoming webinars in our Events section!

Virtual work experience and volunteering opportunities:

i-medics are organising FREE monthly webinars for students who wish to study Medicine at University.

Observe a GP

Aspiring medics aged 16+ are required to develop an understanding of medicine when applying to medical school. Work experience is one way to gain insights into medicine, the RCGP have created another. Observe GP provides is a free, online interactive video platform providing insights into general practice. 

NHS Healthcare Careers 

There is a cost for this experience.

For students in years 10-12. The only live NHS healthcare careers virtual work experience in the UK run by healthcare professionals!

This work experience programme is specific for students interested in:

Nursing
Midwifery
Paramedics
Physiotherapists
Occupational Therapists
Radiographers
Dietitians
Radiographers
Osteopaths
Prosthetists and orthotics
Speech and language therapists
Pharmacists 

Brighton and Hove Medical school virtual work experience

This course provides a 'virtual' work experience for those looking to apply to medical school. You will be introduced to the NHS before exploring the roles and skill sets of six different medical specialists. Along the way, you will also consider some of the challenges and wider issues doctors face.

Almac

Almac’s virtual work experience hub has been designed for 15 to 18 year old students who are keen to learn about careers in the pharmaceutical industry.

Speakers For Schools

Try different jobs in real life through free VWEX so you can find the best fit for you.  Speakers for Schools are a non-profit organisation offering free UK-wide work experience. 

Oxford University Hospitals Trust - Work Experience 

Oxford University Hospitals Trust - Volunteering 

Springpod – Online Medical Work Experience 

Springpod – Online Nursing Work Experience

Have you thought about becoming an NHS Reservist? From experienced clinicians to students looking to gain experience. The NHS are seeking anyone aged 18+ who would like to earn extra money and help their local NHS. The varied roles means that they have something for everyone.

Not sure about the variety of roles? Frimley Health provides a 5 day programme which aims to give an oversight of what a career in healthcare can offer, and provides an opportunity to learn more about different roles and career paths. To find out more or to enrol, please contact [email protected] 

Media to Explore:

Many young people have been inspired by TV shows, movies etc. to follow a particular career. We have collated some resources here for you to discover. We have included podcasts because they are the best way to get real insight into the industry’s current dynamics and are a great way to demonstrate knowledge and passion in personal statements and interviews.

Please note, we have not specified the platforms for these resources as they can change over time. We suggest you do a web search for the title – you will often find them on YouTube in their entirety. Some titles will only be available for a fee or subscription.

Please be aware that not all of the titles below are appropriate for all ages. Please check the age appropriateness before watching. Common sense media are a good resource to use to do this.

TV Factual: The Mind explained, Lennox Hill, Diagnosis, The Surgeon’s Cut, Extremis, What the Health, Hospital, 24 hrs in A&E, Ambulance, One Born Every Minute, GPs Behind Closed Doors

TV Drama:  The Good Doctor, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Nurse Jackie, Casualty, Holby City, House

Film: Girl Interrupted, Awakenings, The Painted Veil, My Left Foot

Radio & Podcasts:  BBC Sounds: Inside Health, All in The Mind. RSM Health Matters, The NHS Frontline, Becoming a Doctor, The Undifferentiated Medical Student, Docs Outside The Box, Bedside Rounds, Doc Talk

Useful Websites

Medicine:

eCLIPS - Medicine - an introduction to the work and training 

National Careers Service - Hospital Doctor 

National Careers Service - GP 

NHS Health Careers - Medicine 

Applying for Medical School 

How to Get Into Medical School

British Medical Association - Studying Medicine 

The Complete University Guide - Tips on Getting into Medicine 

Applying for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Dentistry 

Alternatives to Medicine and Surgery 

Prospects - A career in Medicine and information on alternative careers 

Medical Schools Council - Medical schools information 

Medical Schools Council - Making an application

Medical School Council - Studying Medicine 

The Lancet - Information on latest medical developments and research 

Medlink - Information on how to become a doctor and the UKCAT and BMAT tests 

Widening Access to Medical School – Useful information on Medicine and becoming a doctor from Leeds Medical students (in partnership with the Sutton Trust) 

Widening Participation courses in Medicine - e.g. Imperial College, London

Taster courses for medicine for Year 11 students – Imperial College London 

The Medic Portal - Preparation for applying to Medicine – Checklist 

Gresham - Series of Medial Science lectures and talks available to watch online 

The Student Room - Tips and information about getting into Medicine but it is students’ opinions not necessarily accurate facts so please consider this when reading. 

UCAT and BMAT Practice Tests online (Free) 

UCAT 

BMAT 

Medic Mind 

BlackStone Tutors 

Dentistry:

eCLIPS on Dentistry

eCLIPS on Careers in Dental Health

National Careers Service - Dentist

Information on Dental Care Team

British Dental Association – includes information on dental careers, related careers, career blog posts etc.

Dental Schools Council and information on making applications

Dental Elite – Careers in Dental Healthcare – includes information on resources, training, related careers etc

Prospects - Dentist

UCAT test with practice tests

British Orthodontic Society – Specialist area of Dentistry

Health and Social Care:

eCLIPS - Health and Medical Careers 

Skills for Health - Information about all aspects of working in healthcare 

Skills for Care - Information about careers and qualifications in adult social care 

Health Careers – NHS - Information on health and medical career roles in the NHS including case studies and videos 

Prospects – Health Studies – Information on how this links to different careers 

Step into the NHS – Careers quiz to identify your career path in the NHS 

NHS Jobs – Job vacancies in the NHS 

Community Care – Careers news and information, sign up to a newsletter about Social Care and Community Care 

A Graduate’s Guide to Becoming a Contractor. Contracting is a great way to get work straight out of university and will help you gain experience. Umbrella Contracting takes a look at how contracting works.