Medical Doctor
The base of every medical specialty: six years of Medicine, then a residency where you choose what kind of doctor you become.
Save this career to see your personalized pathway in My Senda.
- Typical pay
- €38k–€90k
- Usual education
- Medicine degree (6 years) + residency
- Outlook
- Strong and stable demand across Europe; shortages in many regions.
A day in the life
Ward rounds, patient histories, examinations, ordering and reading tests, explaining decisions to families, and writing everything down. Long shifts, constant learning, and real responsibility from early on.
Ways in
- Science Bachillerato or equivalent, then a high entrance mark for Medicine
- Six-year Medicine degree with clinical placements
- National residency exam (MIR in Spain) to enter a specialty
- 4–5 years of paid residency training
What to study at 16
The subjects you choose for the final years of secondary school can shape which degrees, exams and careers are easiest to reach. This is about choosing courses, not choosing a school.
Spain
Bachillerato de Ciencias y Tecnología
Portugal
Ciências e Tecnologias
France
Bac général — spécialités
Germany
Oberstufe — Leistungskurse
Italy
Liceo scientifico
Netherlands
Profiel Natuur & Gezondheid
Exams you'll need
The gates between you and this job, and when each one comes.
EBAU / Selectividad
Medicine has one of the highest notas de corte in Spain.
RequiredMIR — Médico Interno Residente
You need MIR to specialise and practise in the Spanish public system.
RequiredTest di Medicina
In Italy the medicine degree is numero programmato: the national test decides who gets a place.
OptionalUCAT
Required if you apply to medicine in the UK.
Skills that matter
Best courses to take
The study routes that lead most directly into this career.
Degree in Medicine
Six years, the highest entrance marks in the country, and the only route to becoming a doctor of any specialty.
The only entry point — everything after it is a specialty choice.
Helpful school subjects: Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Pharmacology, Clinical rotations
Places that hire for this
AKH Wien – MedUni Wien
Training and entry-level roles across clinical, nursing and technical teams.
Amsterdam UMC
Training and entry-level roles across clinical, nursing and technical teams.
Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP)
Training and entry-level roles across clinical, nursing and technical teams.
Centrum Zdrowia Dziecka
Training and entry-level roles across clinical, nursing and technical teams.
Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Hires across clinical teams, from placements to permanent posts.
Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João
Training and entry-level roles across clinical, nursing and technical teams.
CHUV Lausanne
Training and entry-level roles across clinical, nursing and technical teams.
Clínica Universidad de Navarra
Hires across clinical teams, from placements to permanent posts.
Comunidad de Madrid
Hires across clinical teams, from placements to permanent posts.
Elsan
Hires across clinical teams, from placements to permanent posts.