Endocrinology and diabetes
Endocrinologists and diabetologists investigate, diagnose and treat disorders of the endocrine system.
Typically, you’ll work in both diabetes and endocrinology although some specialists focus on one area and not the other.
Life as an endocrinologist or diabetologist
Predominantly an outpatient specialty, some of your patients will require hospital admission for you to investigate and manage their condition. In addition, you'll often support primary care (GPs) in some of the public health challenges such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
What’s more, at least 15% of all hospital inpatients have diabetes or an endocrine disorder. Increasingly, you’ll manage patients jointly with other hospital-based colleagues. As a specialism that covers the effects of hormones on the whole body, you also have skills that can help across all of general medicine and often help support emergency admissions to hospital for people with a broad range of conditions.
One of the great things about the specialty is there is no typical day. You may see people of all ages with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, or diabetic complications or with diabetes in certain circumstances, for example pregnancy. As an endocrinologist, you’ll work in a specialist setting treating patients with a wide range of endocrine disorders. You may be leading team meetings (called multi-disciplinary meetings) or teaching other students or doctors about how to diagnose the more challenging conditions. It is a career that you can mould to your strengths.
Endocrinologists and diabetologists treat conditions such as:
- diabetes mellitus
- thyroid disease
- lipid disorders
- endocrine disorders of the reproductive system, such as polycystic ovary syndrome
- adrenal disease
- bone and calcium disorders
- pituitary disease
- endocrine late effects of cancer treatment
Common procedures include:
- programmed investigations for complex endocrine disorders
- managing endocrine patients and patients with diabetes before and after surgery
- management of diabetic and endocrine emergencies such as ketoacidosis and hypercalcaemia
- managing diabetes and endocrine conditions during pregnancy
You’ll also be expected to perform as part of a large, multidisciplinary team including specialist nurses, allied health professionals and other specialist clinicians, and work across medical wards treating patients with general medical problems.
How much can I earn?
You’ll first earn a salary when you start your foundation training after medical school. Find out details of current salary ranges for foundation and specialty training, SAS doctors and consultants on the Pay for doctors page.
How about the benefits?
- make a difference
- ability to chose parts of the specialty to focus on
- 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
- 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.
What are my chances of starting a career as an endocrinologist or diabetologist?
There are approximately 791 endocrinologists and diabetologists working in the NHS in England. In 2020, there were 325 applications for 74 training places.
How to become an endocrinologist or diabetologist
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 then get experience of all medical specialties over three years (internal medicine training).
You can then apply for paid specialty training to become an endocrinologist or diabetologist, which will take a minimum of four years.
You may be able to train part time, for example for health reasons or if you have family or caring responsibilities.
Many people do it in combination with an academic post at the university to research more about the conditions they are seeing.
Where a career as an endocrinologist or diabetologist can take you
Many endocrinologists and diabetologists develop sub-specialty interests such as:
- diabetes in pregnancy
- paediatric and adolescent diabetes and endocrinology
- diabetic renal disease
- diabetic neuropathy and foot problems
- diabetic eye disease
- thyroid problems
- pituitary and adrenal disease
- reproductive endocrinology
- endocrine late effects of cancer treatment
- lipid disorders
- gender identity services
- bariatric medicine
- metabolic bone disease
- neuroendocrine tumours
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Consultant - Diabetes and Endocrinology
Frimley, GU16 7UJ
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes
Birmingham, B4 6NH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Paediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology (6PAs)
Cambridge, CB2 0QQ
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locum Consultant in Diabetes, Endocrinology and General Medicine
Telford, TF1 6TF
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
-
Endocrinology Consultant Interest in Reproductive Endocrinology
Birmingham, B15 2TH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Diabetes
Burton, DE13 0RB
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Diabetes & Endocrine
Worksop, S80 0BD
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS FT
-
Diabetes and Endocrine Consultant
Guildford Road, KT16 0PZ
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Ashford & St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant O&G with SI in Diabetes/Maternal Medicine
Westcliff-On-Sea, SS0 0RY
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
-
Endocrinology Advanced Clinical Practitioner
London, WC1N 3JH
- Salary :
- £64156.00 to £71148.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
-
Neonatal Transport Consultant/Consultant Neonatologist
Birmingham, B4 6NH
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Psychotherapist / Consultant Practitioner Psychologist
London, SE5 8RS
- Salary :
- £85431.00 to £97148.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
-
Diabetes Dietitian
Chesterfield, S44 5UP
- Salary :
- £38682.00 to £46580.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Diabetes Dietitian
Bradford, BD5 0NA
- Salary :
- £31049.00 to £37796.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Dermatologist
Rochester, ME1 2EL
- Salary :
- £1.00
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- 18 Week Support Limited
-
Consultant Anaesthetist
East Lancashire, BB10 2PQ
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Dermatology Consultant
Poole, BH152JB
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Psychiatrist
Oakham , LE15 7RD
- Salary :
- £180000.00 to £180000.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Practice Plus Group
-
Respiratory Consultant
Haverfordwest, SA67 2PZ
- Salary :
- £110240.00 to £160951.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hywel Dda University Health Board
-
Consultant Gastroenterologist
Sutton-In-Ashfield, NG17 4JL
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Endoscopist
REDRUTH, TR15 1AN
- Salary :
- £140000.00 to £160000.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- InHealth Group
-
Consultant Cardiologist
Stockton-on-Tees, TS19 8PE
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Radiographer
Wakefield, WF1 4DG
- Salary :
- £64455.00 to £74896.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust
-
Consultant Dermatologist
Amersham, HP7 0JD
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Urology Consultant
Dorchester, DT1 2JY
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Neurologist
Hull, HU32JZ
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Consultant Orthogeriatrician
Manchester, M8 5RB
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Virologist
Liverpool, L7 8YE
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Psychiatrist
York, YO23 3FT
- Salary :
- £189900.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Practice Plus Group
-
Consultant Cardiologist
Derby, DE22 3NE
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
-
Gynaecology Consultant
Gloucester, GL1 3PX
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
Consultant Psychiatrist
Hinckley, LE10 1DA
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- e-Harley Street
-
Consultant Dermatologist
Torquay, TQ2 7BA
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Geriatrician
Portsmouth, PO6 3LY
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
-
Consultant Haematologist
Sutton In Ashfield, NG17 4JL
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Geriatrician
Birmingham, B15 2TH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Haematologist
Sutton In Ashfield, NG17 4JL
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Microbiologist
Hastings, TN37 7RD
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Consultant Urologist
Birmingham, B152QD
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Practice Plus Group
-
Consultant Neurologist
Leicester, LE5 4PW
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
-
Consultant Histopathologist
Bodelwyddan, LL18 5UJ
- Salary :
- £110240.00 to £160951.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
-
Consultant Cardiologist
Walsall, WS2 9PS
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Consultant Orthodontist
Warwick, CV34 5AE
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Neurologist
Taunton, TA1 5DA
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
-
Gynaecology Consultant
Glasgow, G51 4TF
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- Partnering Health Ltd
-
Gastroenterology Consultant
Swindon, SN3 6BB
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Dermatologist
Chester, CH2 1UL
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Gastroenterology
Lancaster, LA14 4RP
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust
-
Consultant Anaesthetist
Whitehaven, CA28 8JG
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
-
Rheumatology Consultant
Nuneaton, CV10 7DJ
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant
Wolverhampton, WV10 0QP
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
-
Consultant Dermatologist
London, EC3M 1DT
- Salary :
- £2000.00
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- 18 Week Support Limited
-
Consultant Microbiologist
Stockton, TS19 8PE
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Gynaecologist
Sheffield, S11 8UX
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- One Health Group
-
Consultant Rheumatologist
Llanelli, SA14 8QF
- Salary :
- £110240.00 to £160951.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hywel Dda University Health Board
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These organisations have further information about being an endocrinologist or diabetologist, particularly as your career progresses, so take a look.
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Association of British Clinical Diabetologists
Young Diabetologists and Endocrinologist
And hear from people working as endocrinology and diabetes doctors.
Clinical Careers in Endocrinology and Diabetes (Society for Endocrinology)
Careers in diabetes and endocrinology (BMJ)
Profiles of people working in different areas of endocrinology (Society for Endocrinology)
Dr Kelly Cheer, consultant in diabetes and endocrinology (RCP)