The career decision after CCT is the most consequential choice most GPs make — and it is made with the least preparation. Training teaches you to be a GP. It does not teach you which type of GP career suits you.
Partnership
Highest earning potential (£100,000-200,000+ depending on practice). Maximum autonomy — you own the business. Maximum risk — financial liability, CQC responsibility, staff management. Least flexibility — tied to one practice. Declining in popularity but still the majority model for established GPs.
Salaried
Stable income (£70,000-100,000+ depending on sessions and experience). Less risk — employee status with employment protections. Less autonomy — practice partners make the strategic decisions. Good for lifestyle prioritisation and those who prefer clinical work without business management.
Locum
Highest flexibility — choose your sessions, locations, and schedule. Variable income (£700-1,000+ per day depending on region and demand). No job security. Requires self-management (tax, pension, indemnity, CPD). Growing in popularity, particularly among newly qualified GPs.
Portfolio Career
Combining GP clinical sessions with other roles — education, research, commissioning, digital health, medico-legal, writing. Increasingly common. Provides variety and multiple income streams. Risk: spreading too thin.
GPwER (GP with Extended Role)
Develop a specialty interest (dermatology, MSK, mental health, women's health) alongside general practice. Additional training required. Combines GP breadth with specialist depth.
Academic GP
Research and teaching alongside clinical work. Academic clinical fellowship pathway or self-directed research. Combines intellectual curiosity with clinical practice.
Medical Education
Trainer, examiner, TPD, deanery roles. Builds on your training experience. Combines clinical work with teaching and system development.
Clinical Leadership
PCN clinical director, ICB roles, medical director. Systems-level impact. Combines clinical credibility with strategic influence.
Where iatroX Fits
Whatever career path you choose, iatroX transitions with you — from revision tool to clinical support platform to CPD engine for appraisal and revalidation.