Blogs > Introduction to the NHS / Life in the UK

What is a Resident Medical Officer?

• July 25, 2018

Resident Medical Officer

What is a Resident Medical Officer?

In some countries, a Resident Medical Officer (RMO) is a junior doctor who is their training. However, in the UK, an RMO is a resident doctor working in a private hospital.

In the UK, there are over 250 private hospitals and the RMO’s play an important role.

In this article, we provide you with a list of advantages and disadvantages of being an RMO, who works as an RMO, their responsibilities and the pay you can expect to receive.
 

---

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages	Disadvantages
Introduction to private practice	No formal clinical training
Membership of private healthcare plan	Occasional loneliness and boredom
Low level of stress at work	Drop in salary
Time to study at work	No NHS pension scheme

---

Who works as an RMO?

In the past decade, there has been a large expansion in independent healthcare and medical research, and so RMO positions have been increasingly linked with research positions within various NHS departments.

In this instance, the researcher will receive a basic salary on the condition that they spend at least one day of the week practicing at the private hospital.

Recently, due to the shortage of doctors in the UK, private hospitals have started to recruit from overseas as it is a good opportunity for IMGs to get their first job in the UK, then find an NHS position later.

For British doctors working as an RMO, they may be waiting for their preferred position in the NHS (such as a specialist register post) and have decided to work as an RMO for six months.

Some doctors enjoy working as an RMO whilst they are undertaking research. An RMO position provides the opportunity for free time during and after work – which allows doctors to finish off their research projects and write papers, without the stress and high work levels found in an NHS post.

Alternatively, some doctors do RMO doctors as a vocation. They are career RMOs who enjoy the low-stress element of their work and it allows them to enjoy other elements of their life, such as travelling and spending time with family and friends.
 

---

The responsibilities of an RMO

The duties of an RMO can range from a house officer to a registrar.

Typically, there may be a couple of RMO’s on duty in the day but only one RMO will cover the night shift.

As an RMO, you will be expected to be on-site during your contracted hours in case of emergency situations, such as cardiac arrest.

To apply for an RMO position a certain level of clinical experience and proficiency is expected, advanced life support is essential, and a postgraduate qualification will be desirable.
 

---

RMO’s Contract

Most contracts will require an RMO to work between 24-48 hours per week with the rest of their time left free to work on their research and personal projects.

Some hospitals allow RMO’s to be on duty for a whole week, alternating with 2-3 weeks off.

The hospital will allow annual leave and you will sometimes find some hospitals to make a contribution towards course fees.
 

---

How much will I get paid?

The pay for an RMO position is typically the same as the individuals previous NHS post. The pay is a basic salary, which includes on-calls.

There may be the opportunity to do locum work at the hospital, where you can receive an additional £5-10k to your salary.

---

If you have any questions about RMO work or are interested in working within the NHS contact us at [email protected] – and we will be happy to help you.
 

---

References

http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/view-article.html?id=422[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="1" gal_title="All Galleries"]