Newly qualified doctors work part-time jobs to make ends meet
Struggling doctors trapped in a ‘cycle of debt’ are driving Ubers
- Newly qualified doctors and medical students are taking on part-time jobs, such as driving Ubers or working in bars, to cope with financial difficulties.
- The British Medical Association (BMA) reports an average £3,674 drop in funding for final-year undergraduates and post-graduate medical students due to reduced student loans and NHS bursaries.
- This funding gap is forcing students into a “recurring cycle of debt,” with many maxing out overdrafts and credit cards to complete their medical degrees.
- Students from poorer backgrounds and those on longer, six-year programmes or post-graduate degrees are disproportionately affected, facing up to three years of reduced funding.
- The BMA is calling on the government to provide full student finance maintenance for the entire duration of medical courses, estimating the cost at £24 million.