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Medical Assistant

Medical Assistant

Working ashore, on ships and submarines, our Medical Assistants are responsible for routine healthcare provisions and trained to respond to medical emergencies in any environment all over the world.

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This role is classed as a RBP Healthcare and Medical Rating Unqualified. As part of your application process, we’ll help you find the most suitable role based on your skills and experience.

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  • £26,334 - £64,866
  • GCSEs
  • Surface Fleet
  • Medical
  • Rating level
A colour image shows an over-the-shoulder perspective of a Royal Navy medical assistant near a patient's bedside. The bed and patient are just out of frame. The medical assistant is wearing a blue Royal Navy work uniform, sterile gloves, and a sterile protective vest. In her hand is a syringe. In the background are two more medical personnel in conversation.

Role details

Being a Medical Assistant in the Royal Navy means embarking on a career that offers more variety and adventure than you’d ever experience in civilian medicine.

From the day you join you’ll gain new skills. Pushing yourself to the limit in some unique and challenging environments, you could be training with Special Forces in West Africa, or working in primary care on board a ship in the Persian Gulf.

  • Make a real difference to some essential operations. That might mean being the only medic on board ship, and taking responsibility for the general healthcare of an entire crew.
  • Use your medical expertise where it’s needed most, providing primary healthcare to trauma victims in conflict zones all over the world
  • When you’re not on deployment you will be working in a Royal Navy shore base or even with the Royal Marines. There’s no equivalent civilian role, so you’ll gain all the skills you need.
  • Work across all medical departments, learning directly from specialists in a number of different fields
  • A starting salary of at least £26,334
  • Earn in excess of £64,866 as your career progresses
  • An excellent pension scheme
  • Six weeks of paid holiday every year
  • Free medical and dental care

 

Qualifications you'll gain

  • Attain a Level 3 Senior Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship
  • Study for GCSEs, A-Levels, NVQs or even a degree, paid for by us
  • Gain specialist vocational qualifications as your career progresses

Skills you'll develop

  • Learn about first aid, environmental and preventative medicine, anatomy and physiology
  • Develop your skills in specialist areas, like pharmacy or nursing
  • You'll need to be aged between 17.5 to 39
  • GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 9-4/A-C (or Scottish equivalent)
  • You must be a British or Irish national, a Commonwealth citizen, or a Dual National. Dual Nationality restrictions may apply
  • A Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18 and 28
     
  • A quick thinker with a passion for helping people
  • Great team players who thrive on working with others
  • Enthusiasm for working in high pressure environments
  • Hands on people who can react fast in an emergency

 

Our work takes us all over the world, from NHS hospitals, to working on board ship or on front line deployments.
debbie, Junior Rating, Medical Branch

Debbie

Junior Rating, Medical Branch

Career Progression

From responsibilities to pay, find out where this role can take you.

Phase One Training

10 weeks at HMS Raleigh, learning basic military skills

Phase Two Training

Develop your professional skills at DMS Whittington

First Year

Complete the Medical Assistant task book and deploy as part of a ships company

First Promotion

Complete the Leading Rate Leadership Course and start managing a department

Second Promotion

Complete the Senior Rate Leadership course and become a senior manager

Joining Process

From picking your role to starting on your first day, these are the steps you'll take to join as a rating.

  • Register your interest
  • Complete your application
  • Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA)
  • Interview
  • Candidate Preparation Course (CPC)
  • Start training

Register your interest

Find the right profession and entry level for you, make sure you meet the basic eligibility criteria, and register your interest online.

Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email with more details about your chosen profession, along with an invitation to speak with our friendly recruitment team about any questions or concerns you might have.

Start your application

Find your place in the Royal Navy. Make friends for life, learn new skills and experience the world.

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