A survey by the BMA has found that six in 10 medical students report cutting their spending on essentials such as food, clothing and heating because of “astronomical” debts, a “broken” student finance system and a spiralling cost of living crisis. As a result, many students are questioning their decision to go into medicine and some are considering quitting before they qualify.
The exodus of students will worsen the workforce crisis engulfing the NHS, which is already short of thousands of doctors.
More than half (53.6%) of UK medical students say they have to work during term time to pay their bills, feed themselves and keep themselves warm, the survey found, with 73.1% of those saying this adversely affects their studying.
Full story in The Guardian, 23 August 2022