At a glance
Your second-to-none medical knowledge is a given. As a Medical Officer, you’ll need much more than that, adapting your skills in wide-ranging environments, from conflict zones to tri-service hospitals. It's a career like no other.
Job Role
Medical Officer
You’ll use your extensive medical skills in a wide range of contexts, from an NHS hospital to some of the most challenging environments in the world.
- £59,000 - £150,000
- Undergraduate Degree
- Surface Fleet
- Medical
- Officer level
£59,319
Minimum salary from day one
6 weeks
Of paid holiday every year
Degree
You need a full medical degree (MBChB)
Pension
Non-contributory pension scheme
Free
Medical and dental care
Travel
All around the world
I get to work alongside colleagues in the NHS, helping those in Britain most in need. But even better, the Royal Navy allows me to help people all over the world who often don’t have access to the care we take for granted.
Role details
What you’ll do
It goes without saying that your extensive medical knowledge is crucial to this role. But you’ll need so much more than that. Medical Officers in the Royal Navy use their skills in some of the most challenging environments in the world.
After your initial training, you might be deployed to a conflict zone or providing medical support during humanitarian aid operations working in a maritime or land environment. You might also find yourself taking on a clinical leadership role at a Joint Hospital Group Unit in Plymouth, Portsmouth and Birmingham, working in specialist areas and caring for both NHS and military patients from all three services. As well as advancing your medical career, you’ll also have the opportunity to gain skills you’d never encounter as a civilian. Diving? Parachuting? They’re yours for the taking.
Your role
- Join at a rank that reflects your experience and be part of a world-class medical service that’s respected far beyond the Armed Forces
- You will start your career as a General Duties Medical Officer. This means you can be deployed on a ship, submarine or with the Royal Marines anywhere in the world taking charge of all personnel's medical needs, whether that be day to day medical issues or emergency situations.
- Gain knowledge and experience in tropical and diving medicine as well as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear medicine to understand the broad skill set you need to do your job in a variety of challenging and unique environments
Pay & benefits
- A salary of at least £59,319 from day one
- Good pay and promotion prospects throughout your career
- An excellent pension scheme
- Six weeks of paid holiday every year
- Free medical and dental care
- Sports and adventurous training opportunities
Skills for life
Qualifications you'll gain
- Funding opportunities to continue personal and professional education
- After spending time as a General Duties Medical Officer, the Royal Navy will offer to fund selected specialisms and wider qualifications for both personal and professional development
- Civilian recognised Leadership and management qualifications
Skills you'll develop
- How to be a leader and apply your medical knowledge in challenging environments
- Opportunities to specialise in clinical areas such as general practice, surgery, trauma and orthopedics, anesthetics, intensive care or emergency medicine
Eligibility
- You must be between 18 and 39 years old, and under 39 if you still need professional training
- 5 grades A*-C (9-4) Including grade 6 (B) or above in English Language and Maths
- You need a medical degree, full General Medical Council registration, plus four months’ foundation training in Emergency Medical and General Practice
- You must be a British or Irish national, a Commonwealth citizen or a Dual National
- A Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18 and 28 (between 17 and 27 if under 18)
Skills & Interests
- An ambitious, passionate medical professional
- A confident leader
- Always calm under pressure
- Have a spirit of adventure
Joining Process
From picking your role to starting on your first day, these are the steps you'll take to join as a rating.
Step 1
Submit an application
Once you’ve registered your interest and have satisfied the basic eligibility criteria, you will be sent an online application form
Step 2
Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA)
You’ll be tested on: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Work Rate, Spatial Reasoning, Electrical Comprehension and Mechanical Comprehension.
To prepare, you can practise the DAA
Step 3
Interview
A formal interview to talk through your suitability for the role
Step 4
Medical and eye tests
These are quite comprehensive and must be completed by one of our Ministry of Defence-approved doctors
Step 5
Pre-Joining Fitness Test (PJFT)
This involves completing a 2.4km run on a treadmill within a certain time, at a fitness centre near you
Step 6
Interview
You’ll have a short interview to assess your suitability for a career in the Royal Navy, and to ensure you’re ready for the Admiralty Interview Board (AIB)
Step 7
Admiralty Interview Board
This stage is unique to officers and takes place in two parts. A Pre Recorded Interview (PRI) is an online assessment which assesses your motivation to join the Royal Navy as an officer and your awareness of the Royal Navy. The Group Planning Exercise (GPE) is the second stage of the AIB and is an online competency based assessment which will take place on a separate day to the PRI. It will be conducted in a virtual group environment and you will be assessed on your contribution to the team based on your individual performance
Step 8
Medical Officer Selection Board
Career Progression
From responsibilities to pay, find out where this role can take you.
Day one
Start Medical Officer training, prepare for life at sea
Year one
Become the doctor on board your ship or submarine, lead a team
Year two
Spend time ashore, teach Medical Assistants, develop skills
First promotion
Become Lieutenant Commander, work towards your chosen speciality
Got a question?
Our virtual recruiter is available to answer your questions 24 hours a day