Clear, practical guidance for international medical graduates looking for their first NHS or UK doctor job. Learn where to apply, what roles to target, how to prepare your CV, how interviews usually work, and how to understand competition when planning your next step.
Start Here Job Websites CV Review PlansFor many international doctors, the first UK job is not a training post. It is often a locally employed doctor role, trust grade job, clinical fellow role, junior clinical fellow role, trust SHO, trust registrar, or non-training service post. These jobs can help you gain NHS experience, UK references, interview confidence, and evidence for future training or specialty applications.
Useful official starting points:
These are the most common starting points for doctors entering UK practice for the first time.
Often the most realistic entry point for IMGs. These jobs are hospital-based, service-focused, and may be at SHO, trust grade, or registrar level depending on your experience.
Common NHS roles that may include teaching, simulation, audit, or a specialty interest. These are often suitable first NHS jobs because they give structured exposure to UK systems.
Good for candidates with internship and some postgraduate experience. These jobs are often available in medicine, emergency medicine, psychiatry, elderly care, and surgery-related specialties.
Formal training posts are usually applied for separately through Oriel. Many IMGs first build NHS experience in a non-training role before applying.
These are the main websites you should check regularly when searching for your first UK doctor job.
The main NHS recruitment portal. Search by job title, specialty, grade, trust, or location.
Many NHS trusts advertise medical vacancies through Trac. It is one of the most important sites for trust grade and clinical fellow applications.
Another widely used UK health jobs platform with many medical and dental vacancies.
Used for UK postgraduate specialty training applications, not for most routine service jobs.
A long-standing medical careers site with doctor vacancies, career advice, and recruitment adverts.
Many hospitals also list vacancies on their own recruitment pages, especially fellowship roles and urgent service posts.
A practical step-by-step pathway for landing your first UK job.
Make sure your GMC registration or licence plan is clear before applying widely.
Target LED, trust grade, junior clinical fellow, SHO, or registrar roles that match your level.
Focus on safe practice, clinical duties, audits, teaching, teamwork, and evidence.
Match each job’s person specification and essential criteria carefully.
Practise NHS values, scenarios, communication, governance, and portfolio questions.
Use induction, ask for support early, and document learning from your first NHS months.
Your CV should be focused, evidence-based, and aligned to NHS expectations.
Prioritise clinical experience, internship, postgraduate experience, audits, teaching, leadership, courses, publications, and practical achievements.
Highlight patient safety, escalation, teamwork, communication, governance, quality improvement, and multidisciplinary working.
Do not send the same CV everywhere. Adjust it for medicine, surgery, psychiatry, emergency medicine, ICU, or GP-related roles.
In 4 to 6 lines, explain who you are, your current stage, GMC status, clinical interests, and what type of role you are targeting.
Instead of saying “good leadership skills,” describe the team, task, result, and what improved because of your work.
Use consistent headings, dates, bullet spacing, and grammar. A clear two-to-four-page medical CV is usually easier to review.
Support packages for international doctors preparing for their first UK applications.
| Plan | Price | Best for | What’s included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic CV Check | $40 | Doctors who already have a CV draft | One full CV review, formatting corrections, language improvement, role targeting advice, and written feedback. |
| Standard CV Review | $65 | Doctors applying to multiple NHS roles | Detailed CV review, stronger profile rewrite, key section edits, person specification alignment, and one revision round. |
| Advanced Job Application Pack | $85 | Doctors needing stronger shortlisting support | CV review, supporting statement guidance, job targeting feedback, and application strategy for first NHS job roles. |
| Premium IMG Launch Plan | $100 | Doctors wanting full first-job preparation | Full CV rewrite support, targeted edits for one role, supporting statement help, interview preparation outline, and final application quality check. |
You can edit these prices, features, or plan names to match your own service.
Many first-job interviews for IMGs focus less on rare knowledge and more on safe practice, communication, judgement, and whether you can work well in the NHS.
Be ready to speak about teamwork, professionalism, patient-centred care, respect, equality, honesty, reflection, and raising concerns safely.
Focus on ABCDE, sepsis, chest pain, stroke, safeguarding, delirium, capacity, consent, prescribing safety, and when to call senior help.
For experience questions, use a clear structure such as situation, action, result, and reflection. For clinical questions, think safety first.
Interview questions are often closely linked to the person specification. Review essential and desirable criteria before every interview.
Ask about induction, supervision, rota support, teaching, study leave, audit opportunities, mentoring, and support for IMGs joining the trust.
If you plan to move into specialty training later, competition ratios can help you understand how competitive different specialties are.
Important links:
Use them as a planning tool, not as a final decision-maker. They show broad competition, but not your personal chance of success.
If your long-term goal is training, your first NHS job should help you build evidence for the specialty you may apply to later.
Focus on references, UK experience, audits, teaching, portfolio evidence, governance awareness, and a good understanding of NHS systems.
Your first UK job may be easier to secure outside the most competitive cities.
Send targeted applications to realistic jobs instead of sending the same application everywhere.
Good induction, supervision, and early support can make a major difference in your first NHS months.
Keep a spreadsheet of role title, trust, date applied, closing date, supporting statement, and interview outcome.
Identify supervisors or seniors who can provide timely and professional references.
Your first job is the start, not the finish. Use it to build confidence, evidence, and direction.
Usually a locally employed doctor, trust grade, or clinical fellow role rather than a training post.
NHS Jobs, trac.jobs, HealthJobsUK, Oriel for training posts, and major trust career pages.
No. Oriel is mainly for formal postgraduate training recruitment, not for most trust grade or service jobs.
Not always. Many first-job adverts accept doctors without prior NHS experience, but they often expect evidence of safe clinical practice, communication skills, and a willingness to learn UK systems.
Very important. A weak CV can stop you getting shortlisted even if your clinical background is good.
NHS values, safe escalation, communication, basic governance, common emergency scenarios, teamwork, and your reasons for applying.
Choose a realistic role that fits your current experience, gives strong support, and helps you build evidence for your longer-term plan.
Use the official competition ratio pages and recruitment guidance: Competition ratios.
A strong first job strategy combines realistic applications, a targeted medical CV, structured interview practice, and a clear understanding of where your first NHS role can take you next.
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