How long does it take to become an emergency physician

Doctors in emergency medicine carry out the immediate assessment and treatment of patients with serious and life-threatening illnesses and injuries. 

You’ll work mainly in the accident and emergency departments of hospitals.

Life as an emergency doctor 

You could also work in other settings such as minor injuries units, at major events or in regional trauma networks. It’s a 24/7 service so you’ll work shifts including evenings and weekends. 

There is no such thing as a typical day, which is why emergency medicine is so interesting. You’ll see people of all ages and from all walks of life, including casualties from road traffic accidents, older people without support and substance abusers. You could go from treating someone with a broken bone to caring for a patient in cardiac arrest, or dealing with a person with mental health issues. 

Emergency medicine allows you to use a huge range of clinical skills to assess and prioritise patients. It means you keep good knowledge of most specialities as you work with the team to plan treatment, save lives and help patients recover. About a fifth of patients are admitted to hospital so you build expert understanding of hospital emergency medical systems.  

How much can I earn? 

You’ll first earn a salary when you start your foundation training after medical school. The basic salary ranges from £29,384 to £34,012. Once you start your specialty training as an emergency medicine doctor employed by the NHS, you can expect to earn a salary of at least £40,257, which can increase to between £84,559 and £114,003 as a consultant. 

How about the benefits? 

• make a difference 
• flexible and part-time working 
• high income early in your career   
• work anywhere in the world   
• excellent pension scheme 
• good holiday entitlement 
• NHS discounts in shops and restaurants 

Must-have skills 

• excellent communication skills to manage a wide range of relationships with colleagues, and patients and their families  
• emotional resilience, a calm temperament and the ability to work well under pressure  
• teamwork and the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams  
• problem-solving and diagnostic skills  
• outstanding organisational ability and effective decision-making skills including prioritisation 
• first-class time and resource management for the benefit of patients  

Entry requirements  

Your first step is medical school. Typically, you’ll need excellent GCSEs and three A or A* passes at A level including chemistry for a five-year undergraduate degree in medicine. Many medical schools also ask for biology and others may require maths or physics.   

If you already have a degree, you could study for a four-year postgraduate degree in medicine.  

You’ll need to pass an interview and admissions test. You’ll be asked to show how you demonstrate the NHS values such as compassion and respect.  

Some medical schools look to recruit a mix of students from different backgrounds and geographical areas, so your educational and economic background and family circumstances could be considered as part of your application. 

"I love the challenge and variety of the work and being part of a high-performing team. Knowing that you can always rely on your team of nurses and doctors is very reassuring and there’s a great sense of camaraderie."

Read Clare's story.

What are my chances of starting a career in emergency medicine?  

In 2020 there were 863 applications for 348 emergency medicine specialty training posts.  

How to become a doctor in emergency medicine 

After medical school, you’ll join the paid two-year foundation programme where you’ll work in six placements in different settings.  

After your foundation programme, you can apply for paid specialty training to become an emergency doctor, which will take a minimum of six years.  

You may be able to train part-time, for example for health reasons or if you have family or caring responsibilities. 

Where a career in emergency medicine can take you 

You could: 

• specialise and conduct research in areas such as paediatric emergency medicine and pre-hospital emergency medicine 
• study for joint qualification with intensive care medicine 
• teach medical students or postgraduate students in training 
• get involved in research at universities, the NHS or private sector

An emergency physician, also called an ER physician, gives patients entering a hospital's emergency room immediate medical attention. These are typically not patients the physician is responsible for treating on a regular basis, like a family doctor. As an ER physician, you assess patients' symptoms, order any laboratory tests to diagnose illnesses and administer treatment.

Steps

1. 

   1

   Go to college. You need at least 3 years of undergraduate school or a bachelor's degree to enter medical school.[1]

   • You can major in pre-medicine or a related area such as physics, biology or chemistry since these majors include all the prerequisites, but a science major is not required.
   • Earn a high grade point average (GPA). Medical school is competitive, so you want the highest GPA you can earn.[2]

2. 

   2

   Gain practical experience in the medical field.[3]

   • Volunteer your time in a medical setting such as a nursing home, clinic, or even an animal hospital.
   • Work in the emergency room in a job such as an emergency medical technician to gain experience. Often entry-level positions, which require little-to-no experience, are available.

3. 

   3

   Take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). The MCAT is required to enter medical school.[4]

4. 

   4

   Graduate from medical school.[5]

   • Medical school takes 4 years to complete. In your first 2 years you take basic science courses. During your last 2 years, you gain practical experience working under experienced physicians. This involves examining patients and taking medical histories.
   • You also complete rotations in emergency medicine and specialty areas like obstetrics.

5. 

   5

   Finish a residency program after graduation. A residency program of 3-4 years is required to become an ER physician. You will spend most of your residency working in emergency medicine after the first year of rotating in different specialties. You will work under the supervision of experienced emergency physicians throughout your residency.[6]

6. 

   6

   Enroll in a fellowship.[7]

   • A fellowship provides additional paid training in sub-specialties such as disaster medicine and pediatric emergency medicine. The fellowship generally takes 1-2 years to complete.

7. 

   7

   Pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and/or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX).[8] All ER physicians must have a license to practice medicine.[9]

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• Medical schools look at a variety of factors during the admissions process. For example, they examine your college transcripts, your GPA and your MCAT scores. The college also considers factors such as your work experience or volunteer work done before, or during, your undergraduate career. You may also have to complete an interview with the medical school. The interview is generally conducted over the telephone and with the medical school's admissions committee.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

• Although you can enter medical school with only 3 years of undergraduate work, most applicants have at least a bachelor's degree.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

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