Infectious diseases
Doctors working in infectious diseases diagnose, investigate and treat infections caused by micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi.
You’ll combine your clinical and laboratory skills to diagnose and provide effective treatment for a wide range of infectious diseases.
Life in infectious diseases
There are four distinct but interdependent infection specialties: infectious diseases, medical microbiology, medical virology and tropical medicine.
So, among other conditions, you could treat:
- bone infections
- HIV
- pneumonia
- viral hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
The role is rapidly changing due to:
- an increase in resistance to antibiotics
- an increase in the severity of infections particularly in an ageing and more frail population
- the growing popularity of global travel heightening the need for expertise in the prevention and treatment of ‘international’ diseases
You’ll regularly deliver:
- drug prescription
- insertion of a central venous catheter – a thin flexible hollow tube is inserted into a large vein for the introduction of fluids including medication
- lumbar puncture - a hollow needle is inserted into the lower part of the spinal canal to withdraw cerebrospinal fluid for diagnosis or to inject medication
- sigmoidoscopy (examination of part of the intestine using a very small camera)
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
- 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 in infectious diseases?
There are approximately 130 consultants working in infectious diseases in the NHS in England.
How to become an infectious diseases doctor
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 a doctor in infectious diseases, which will take a minimum of seven or eight 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 infectious diseases can take you
Infectious diseases is a wide and varied area and you’ll have many opportunities to specialise.
You can also combine your training with either general internal medicine or with medical microbiology (or virology) and tropical medicine.
You’ll also have opportunities to conduct research and teach.
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Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases
Manchester, M13 9WL
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locum Consultant in Infectious Diseases & Acute Medicine/ Microbiology
Stoke on Trent, ST4 6QG
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust
-
Consultant in Medical Microbiology/ Infectious Diseases
Swindon, SN3 6BB
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Senior Clinical Fellow (ST4+) - Paediatric Infectious Diseases
Tooting, SW17 0QT
- Salary :
- £65048.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Microbiology Infectious Diseases £20K welcome Bonus
Ipswich, IP4 5PD
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
-
Motor Neurone Disease Care Co-ordinator
Plymouth, PL6 8DH
- Salary :
- £47810.00 to £54710.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
-
Consultant Haematologist, Biochemistry/ Metabolic Diseases Interests
London, SE5 9RS
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Highly Specialist Physiotherapist Specialising in Pompe Disease
London, WC1N 3BG
- Salary :
- £56276.00 to £63176.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locum Consultant Rheumatologist with Metabolic Bone disease
Oxford, OX3 7HE
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Corneal & External Eye Disease Fellow in Ophthalmology
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP
- Salary :
- £65048.00 to £73992.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease Committee
London, UK, E20 1JQ
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Voluntary
- Employer :
- NICE – The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
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Consultant Obs and Gynae FDS, Cancer Pathways and Vulval Disease
Birmingham, B15 2TH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor - Emergency Medicine
Bournemouth, BH7 7DW
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor - Stroke Medicine
Torquay, TQ2 7AA
- Salary :
- £59175.00 to £95400.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine
Swindon, SN4 9BY
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Prospect Hospice
-
Specialist Doctor in Elderly Medicine
Wakefield, WF14DG
- Salary :
- £100870.00 to £111441.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust
-
Bank Senior Doctor - General Medicine
Redhill, RH1 5RH
- Salary :
- £75.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Specialty Doctor in Emergency Medicine
Aberystwyth, SY23 1ER
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hywel Dda University Health Board
-
Specialty Doctor Palliative Medicine - Sustantive
Birmingham, B24 0DF
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Birmingham Hospice
-
Specialty Doctor in Acute Medicine
Barnsley, S75 2EP
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor in Emergency Medicine (A&E)
Redditch, B98 7UB
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Specialty Doctor in Geriatrics and Stroke medicine
York, YO318HE
- Salary :
- £65048.00 to £73992.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor/Clinical Fellow in Palliative Medicine
Romford, RM4 1QH
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Saint Francis Hospice
-
Senior Locally Employed Doctor in Respiratory Medicine
Manchester, M23 9LT
- Salary :
- £65048.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
-
Dermatology Doctor
Swindon, SN3 3RB
- Salary :
- £550.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
Dermatology Doctor
Wandsworth, SW18 4WW
- Salary :
- £550.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
Specialty Doctor
Leeds, LS12 3QE
- Salary :
- £70901.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
-
ENT Doctor
Worthing, BN11 3BN
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
Dermatology Doctor
London, SE14 6BL
- Salary :
- £550.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
Hospice Doctor
SCARBOROUGH, YO12 5RE
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Saint Catherine’s Hospice
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Specialty Doctor
London, W6 8NF
- Salary :
- £59175.00 to £95400.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- West London NHS Trust
-
ENT Doctor
Canterbury, CT1 1BN
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
Dermatology Doctor
Slough, SL1 2EJ
- Salary :
- £550.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
Dermatology Doctor
Slough, SL1 2EJ
- Salary :
- £550.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
Dermatology Doctor
Leicester, LE1 2BU
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
Speciality Doctor
Lichfield, WS14 9LH
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- St Giles Hospice
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Specialty Doctor
London, SE5 8UH
- Salary :
- £59175.00 to £95400.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
-
Dermatology Doctor
Canterbury, CT1 1BN
- Salary :
- £550.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
Speciality Doctor
Workington, CA14 2AL
- Salary :
- £105000.00 to £115000.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Humankind Charity
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Dermatology Doctor
Worthing, BN11 3BN
- Salary :
- £550.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
Specialty Doctor
Brunel Road, , RG7 4AB
- Salary :
- £59175.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Sue Ryder
-
Stroke Specialist Doctor
Chertsey, KT16 0PZ
- Salary :
- £83945.00 to £95275.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Ashford & St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor - CAMHS
Stafford, ST19 9QT
- Salary :
- £90000.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Active Care Group
-
Specialty Doctor - Paediatrics
Chesterfield, S44 5BL
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Ophthalmology Specialty Doctor
Sidcup, DA14 6LT
- Salary :
- £59175.00 to £95400.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor - Orthodontics
Southend, SS0 0RY
- Salary :
- £61542.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor Anaesthetics
Hastings, TN37 7RD
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Ophthalmology- Specialty doctor
Reading, RG15AN
- Salary :
- £59175.00 to £95400.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
-
ST1 Paediatric Bank Doctor
Warrington, WA5 1QG
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHSFT
-
Medical Retina Specialist doctor
London, EC1V 2PD
- Salary :
- £100870.00 to £111441.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Speciality Doctor- Riverwood Ward
Bebington, CH63 4JY
- Salary :
- £59175.00 to £95400.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
-
Trauma & Orthopaedic Specialty Doctor
York, YO31 8HE
- Salary :
- £59175.00 to £95400.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor - Obs & Gynae
Steeton, BD20 6TD
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
-
F1 Trust Doctor Rotating
Chester, CH2 1UL
- Salary :
- £38831.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Bank On Call Doctor
North East, DL1 2LN
- Salary :
- £325.00 to £450.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- Cygnet Health Care
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These organisations have further information about being an infectious diseases doctor, particularly as your career progresses. Take a look.
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
And read this article about working in infectious diseases medicine: