Metabolic Medicine
Doctors in metabolic medicine treat patients whose chemical processes do not function properly and who may have various health problems as a result.
Your patients will have a wide range of common and rare conditions, for example diabetes, kidney stones, lipid metabolism and inborn errors of metabolism such as phenylketonuria.
Life as a doctor in metabolic medicine
Metabolic medicine is a relatively new specialty (it's a sub-specialty of chemical pathology) and provides excellent opportunities for research.You could choose to study it together with general internal medicine, but most doctors decide on chemical pathology as their specialty. The clinical work of metabolic medicine complements the laboratory work of chemical pathology. Whatever specialty you choose, you’ll work closely with your hospital’s biochemistry laboratory.
If you decide on chemical pathology as your specialty, you’ll see patients with conditions within specific areas of metabolic medicine, predominately as outpatients.
You’ll have the opportunity to run a hospital biochemistry laboratory where you’ll spend most of your time ensuring high quality laboratory testing, interpreting results and liaising with colleagues in primary and secondary care. Collaboration with colleagues in other specialties is a must.
In a typical week, you’ll hold up to three outpatient clinics for a range of conditions, for example diabetes, cardiovascular risk and renal stone disease
If you choose general medicine as your specialty, you’ll treat patients with inherited diseases.
Common procedures and interventions include:
- drug treatments such as insulin and lipid-regulating drugs
- enzyme replacement therapies for inherited metabolic diseases
- bariatric surgery for obesity, such as gastric bypass surgery – where metabolic medicine physicians will work closely with bariatric surgeons
- provision of nutritional support via percutaneous gastrostomies (PEG, an endoscopic procedure) or parenteral nutrition (TPN)
- cardiovascular risk testing, e.g. for patients with high cholesterol
- use of new biologic treatments for cholesterol disorders
- dynamic tests or ‘stress tests’ for a wide range of conditions
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
In addition, doctors in metabolic medicine need to demonstrate:
- a strong interest in biochemistry and metabolism
- a familiarity with research methods and a willingness to keep up to date with research and advances in treatment
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.
"The patient contact is the part I enjoy the most. I love my clinics. I also enjoy carrying out research as it means that you can actually drive and develop the treatments that your patients receive in clinic."
What are my chances of starting a career as a doctor in metabolic medicine?
In 2016, there were 15 consultants in metabolic medicine in the NHS in England. In 2020, there were 23 applications for 12 training places.How to become a doctor in metabolic medicine
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 metabolic medicine, which will take a minimum of seven 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 as a doctor in metabolic medicine can take you
You could:- specialise or conduct research
- teach medical students or postgraduate students in training
- get involved in research at universities, the NHS or private sector
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Consultant Chemical Pathologist with Metabolic Medicine
Dudley, DY1 2HQ
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
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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
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Highly Specialist Metabolic and NeuroMedical Physiotherapist
London, WC1N 3JH
- Salary :
- £56276.00 to £63176.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
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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
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Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine
Swindon, SN4 9BY
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Prospect Hospice
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Specialist Doctor in Elderly Medicine
Wakefield, WF14DG
- Salary :
- £100870.00 to £111441.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust
-
Speciality Doctor in Rehabilitation Medicine
Burslem, ST6 7AG
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor in Emergency Medicine
Guildford, GU2 7XX
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Royal Surrey 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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Highly Specialist Dietitian: Paediatric Metabolic and ketogenics
Nottingham, NG7 2UH
- Salary :
- £47810.00 to £54710.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trusts
-
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 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 in Emergency Medicine (2nd post)
Redhill, RH1 5RH
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Senior Locally Employed Doctor in Respiratory Medicine
Manchester, M23 9LT
- Salary :
- £65048.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
-
Clinical Research Fellow – Trust Doctor in Medicine
London, NW1 2BU
- Salary :
- £52656.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Bank Senior Doctor - General Medicine
Redhill, RH1 5RH
- Salary :
- £75.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Specialty Doctor Palliative Medicine - Sustantive
Birmingham, B24 0DF
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Birmingham Hospice
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Specialty Doctor/Clinical Fellow in Palliative Medicine
Romford, RM4 1QH
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Saint Francis Hospice
-
Locally Employed Doctor (Higher) in Emergency Medicine QEHB
Birmingham, B15 2TH
- Salary :
- £65048.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locally Employed Doctor (Higher) in Emergency Medicine - HGS sites
Birmingham, B9 5SS
- Salary :
- £65048.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in General Medicine Interest in Respiratory Medicine
Jersey, JE2 3RR
- Salary :
- £114667.80 to £170947.54
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Health and Community Services
-
Nuclear Medicine Consultant
Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5NY
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Medway NHS Foundation Trust
-
Rota Coordinator - Medicine
Wrexham, LL13 7TD
- Salary :
- £27898.00 to £30615.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
-
Acute Medicine Consultant
Stoke on Trent, ST4 6QG
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust
-
Fetal Medicine Midwife
Luton, LU4 0DZ
- Salary :
- £38682.00 to £46580.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Medicines Optimisation Technician
Yate, BS375DW
- Salary :
- £31049.00 to £37796.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Sirona care & health CIC
-
Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Chelsea, SW3 6JJ
- Salary :
- £46419.00 to £55046.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
-
Matron - Medicine Division
Kings Lynn Norfolk, PE30 4ET
- Salary :
- £55690.00 to £62682.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHSFT
-
Consultant - Acute Medicine
Truro, TR1 3LJ
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust
-
Acute Medicine Consultant
Swindon, SN3 6BB
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Senior Physiotherapist Medicine
Chesterfield, S44 5BL
- Salary :
- £38682.00 to £46580.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Medicines Management Lead
Nottingham, NG12 4GA
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Spire Healthcare Ltd
-
Nuclear Medicine Radiographer
Liverpool, L7 8XP
- Salary :
- £38682.00 to £46580.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Fetal Medicine Sonographer
London, SE1 7EH
- Salary :
- £56276.00 to £63176.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
-
Occupational Therapy Assistant Medicine
London, SE5 9RS
- Salary :
- £30546.00 to £32207.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Medicines Management Pharmacy Technician
North Shields, NE29 8NH
- Salary :
- £31049.00 to £37796.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
-
Lead Medicines Management Technician
London, WC1N 3JH
- Salary :
- £56276.00 to £63176.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
-
Medicines Management Support Administrator
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8DQ
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Saville Medical Group
-
Consultant in General Medicine
Orpington, BR6 8ND
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Medicines Management Lead Pharmacist
Salford, M6 8AQ
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Ramsay Health Care UK Operations Limited
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CONSULTANT IN PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
Stoke on Trent, ST4 6QG
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust
-
Prescription Clerk/Medicines Administrator
Burnley, BB10 3BF
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Thursby Surgery
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Consultant in Emergency Medicine
Milton Keynes, MK6 5LD
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Acute Medicine
Bury St. Edmunds, IP33 2QZ
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Acute Medicine
Hull, HU3 2JZ
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Consultant in Emergency Medicine
Wakefield, WF14DG
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust
-
Medicines Management Pharmacy Technician
London, SW1X 7AW
- Salary :
- £39000.00 to £45000.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Cleveland Clinic London
-
Acute Medicine Locum Consultant
Swindon, SN3 6BB
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Palliative Medicine
London, SE5 9RS
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Palliative Medicine
Cambridge, CB2 0QQ
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Staff Grade - Emergency Medicine
St Helier, JE1 3QS
- Salary :
- £58742.00 to £97050.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Health and Community Services
-
Consultant in Respiratory Medicine
Swindon, SN3 6BB
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Stroke Medicine
Swindon, SN3 6BB
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Chief Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Cottingham, HU16 5JQ
- Salary :
- £47810.00 to £54710.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Consultant in Emergency Medicine
Brighton, BN2 5BE
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)
-
Consultant in Stroke medicine
Blackburn, BB2 3HH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Lead Pharmacist - Medicines Optimisation
London, SW6 4UL
- Salary :
- £72921.00 to £83362.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Central London Community Health Trust
-
Matron for Specialist Medicine
Newham, E13 8SL
- Salary :
- £61631.00 to £68623.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barts Health NHS Trust
-
Consultant in Elderly Medicine
Chelmsford, CM1 7ET
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
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These organisations have further information about being a doctor in metabolic medicine, particularly as your career progresses. Take a look.
British Inherited Metabolic Diseases Group
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow