What are the designations of UK Doctors?

Roles and Titles of UK Doctors 

In the UK, doctors are known by many different titles. Below are some of the titles doctors are known by, along with a brief explanation of what they do. Other than medical students, all of the titles below are qualified doctors registered with the UK General Medical Council (GMC). An Anaesthesia Assistant and a Physician Assistant are not doctors, although they are also registered with the GMC.

The Roles of Doctors in the United Kingdom (UK):

Doctor Role	Summary of Role
Medical Student	A medical student trains in medicine over a period of five years through undergraduate. They might also undertake postgraduate study, learning further medical science and basic clinical skills before qualification.
Resident Doctor	A fully qualified doctor in training or non‑training role, delivering day‑to‑day patient care on wards and specialist units, also carrying out on‑call duties, while gaining experience.
FY1 (Junior) Doctor	Newly qualified doctor working under close supervision, carrying out basic clinical tasks and developing core competencies. Such doctors need to work in a GMC Approved Practice Setting (APS) for the first year.
FY2 (Junior) Doctor	Doctor with increasing responsibility who rotates through specialties and prepares for higher training. A FY2 doctor must also work in a GMC Approved Practice Setting (APS) until their first revalidation.
Core Training Doctor (CT1–CT2)	Gains broad experience across medical or surgical specialties before applying for higher specialty training. Core training is a non-specialist period of working.
Speciality Training Doctor (ST1–ST2)	Focuses on a specific speciality, developing skills required for higher specialist training. This will be carried out in the clinical specialism that the doctor wishes to specialise in longer term,
Middle‑Grade Doctor (ST3+)	Senior trainee managing complex patients, supervising junior doctors, and developing advanced specialist expertise. In year ST4, a doctor can take on Registrar duties.
Specialty Doctor	Senior non‑training doctor providing experienced patient care with a focus on service delivery and work‑life balance. A doctor might work in this role for many years.
Specialist Doctor	A highly senior clinician with responsibilities similar to a consultant, including leadership and teaching, but not on the GMC Specialist Register. They might all the same have the same knowledge and experience as a doctor on the GMC Specialist Register.
Consultant	Most senior hospital doctor, working independently, leading teams, managing complex cases, and overseeing clinical services. Other than a locum role, a consultant ordinarily must be on the GMC Specialist Register
General Practitioner (GP)	Provides first‑contact medical care in the community, treating common conditions and also referring patients to clinical specialists in specialist fields.
Academic Doctor (often called a Clinical Fellow)	Combines their clinical work with teaching junior doctors and research to advance medical knowledge alongside patient care.
A Locum Doctor	Temporarily covers shifts or posts at any grade to maintain staffing levels, performing the same duties as the role replaced. A locum role might be served for many years, but the NHS usually contracts for one year, and might extend the post.

If you seek information about medical titles, contact the GMC. We can also advise.