Doctors apply medical knowledge and skill to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases, disorders and injuries. They talk to patients to find out what symptoms they have, for example, whereabouts they feel pain, and look at notes which tell them which illnesses the patient has had before.
They try to find out as much as possible about the patient by taking their blood pressure, listening to their heart and taking many other different measurements to try and work out what is wrong with them. A doctor is really like a detective - piecing together lots of evidence in order to make a diagnosis.
When they know what is wrong with the patient, they decide on the best way to treat them. This may involve giving medicine or operating. Doctors are supported by a team of health care workers, such as nurses.
The specific work activities of a doctor depend on whether they have chosen to be a general practitioner (GP), surgeon or physician. For example, a GP may spend most of the day in a surgery, working though a list of patients who have fairly minor medical problems. A surgeon, on the other hand might spend hours performing a major operation.
Many doctors work long and irregular hours and spend time on-call, in case of emergencies. They can also specialise in particular areas such as Pathology, Paediatrics and Cardiology. General Practitioner, Surgeon and Consultant are just the number of areas that a doctor can progress into.