Junior Doctors

[Dedworth]

Not exactly a Health "Issue" but quite an interesting fly on the wall series about newly qualified doctors

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00z1wsv

[joebloggs]

yes my misses has been watching it

[Doc Alan]

"Junior Doctors" is very much a health issue, whether or not you choose to watch "fly on the wall" series as your source of information.
Over half of doctors under the age of 35, and also medical students, are female in the UK. This is a trend seen in many countries in recent years. It raises questions for the future such as training more doctors to cover maternity leave, and planning for job-sharing. The UK has just over 2 doctors, and the Philippines just over 1, for every 1000 population. How many doctors are needed, and what is the desirable male / female ratio ?
Almost all doctors now have changed from the "patriarchal" style of " I know best, do as I say". But it's also likely that women doctors practise medicine differently - they're more cautious and more risk-averse than male doctors. They're also less often the subject of complaints by patients. Recently qualified women doctors in the UK favour different specialties ( 2/5 paediatrics, half public health, less than 1/10 surgery) than junior male doctors.
There are serious questions about why fewer men are choosing medicine as a career, problems caused by the 48 hour working week imposed under European law, and whether medicine is now less of a vocation and just another job viewed in terms of prospects and remuneration. The "fly on the wall" series may well be interesting as well as entertaining to some members. Issues around numbers and quality of junior doctors should concern us all .