To tell you that a newly qualified doctor only earns £29k?

[Drstrike]

Doctors now leave medical school after 5/6 gruelling years of study - with £85k of student debt.

First year post-qualification is £29k, rising to £33k the following year. Then things stagnate around £40k whilst in specialty training.

The first year post-qualification is more supervised. But you are still the first doctor to be bleeped if one of your ward patients starts bleeding post-op, falls and hits their head, has chest pain etc. and you are the one to initiate management then contact your consultant to let them know. You are still covering wards overnight with seniors at a distance. You are still prescribing medications, ordering scans involving radiation, explaining plans to patients and families. You are still a fully qualified doctor - just not with full registration.

This salary is based on a 40-48 hour full time week depending on rota. That means you can be "part time" working 40hrs a week in a job like surgery.

It takes 5/6 years of medical school, 2 years of foundation training, 3 years of core training and 3 years of higher specialty training to become a consultant. That's a commitment of 13 years, generally from the age of 18.

During this time doctors have to pay for their own progression exams (£500-£1000 each).

There are out of hours premia for nights/weekends on top, but in specialties like psychiatry and GP only basic is earnt.

Does this shock you?

£29k (FY pay) is not similar to band 7 pay which is almost up to £50k a year

@Didiplanthis surely not? But GPs are having an easy time aren't they? According to MN they don't do anything, and on the rare occasions you get to see one they're crap anyway.

Seriously though, I know what you mean. I've stepped down from my partnership, massively reduced my hours, living on savings and when that runs out I'll draw my pension. I'm only 55 and in good health but I can't take it any more.

@aramo umm….doctors do bank (to fill rota gaps) and agency (locum ) just like nurses

So nobody should be able to complain about their working terms and conditions? It’s a race to the bottom? So much we take for granted about work - weekends, sick pay, health and safety legislation came because people fought for better conditions.

As for us not being happy so do something else - increasingly we are, where does that leave the NHS?

No this doesn't shock me but only because I'm in the know as I have several family members who are junior doctors. Add into that huge competition for post grad training places
People on here saying they know this might consider how much insight a 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 year old aspiring nedical student can really have this insight into the reality. At that stage they are desperately seeking work experience in heath care settings whilst also studying for those all important top grades

I’m not long home from hospital with my DC after a pretty bad accident.
I had no idea about the starting salary etc.
Some very facetious remarks on this thread, tbh.

Theyre not saying they're beneath them. But you'd be foolish to think the extent of study and investment of time to learn is anywhere near the same. And similarly foolish to think the risk and responsibility is anywhere near the same too

I work for the NHS as a Health Visitor. I think that pay that Doctor earns Is awful. They should be paid so much more. They work very long hours, are given the same responsibilities as their bosses the Consultants on night shifts with no extra pay etc. I have worked with many junior Doctors on night shifts, they are doing the best they can do under so much pressure. I was always grateful for all of the Doctors on night shifts. I have many years of experience etc and have reached the top of my pay scale and can only go to the next level with a specialist role, there are no specialist roles available. We have far too many managers in the NHS. Who sit on their bums and have not worked directly with patients for many years and get paid high salaries. Junior Doctors are so very important.

In the past, when friends' children are considering career, if they are academic, they may choose medicine, scientific research, engineering, etc. If they arent academic they may choose vocational career. Nowadays, even when the children are academic, they will be advised against choosing medicine or pursuing a phd. Think about what great innovation has come from the uk in the past decade

I’ll be happy to stay here and pay for my own healthcare… twice thanks. Once to the government for the NHS, of which I have no choice and another time to functioning organisations who actually stand a fighting chance of treating me like a human. You say the bar is low on posts but maybe those on their high and mighty pedestals would be better served looking at the NHS for what it is. Utterly broken. But no - best you stay shouting at anyone who has a different opinion and refuse the accept what everyone else knows. Our health system is a laughing stock, not the pinnacle that we pretend it is. The OP asked whether I am shocked and I’m not. Over the life of a career, doctors will earn much more than other average people so the post about starting salaries does not represent the whole story.

Umm… I said student!! Student doctors don’t do bank but student nurses do!!

Where will the private doctors you choose to see come from?

I have asked this before but not got an answer.

How quickly we all forget - clapping for the NHS, valuing key workers, we said that never again would we forget who was important in society, it wasn’t the bankers or lawyers we needed during covid and it certainly wasn’t the politicians, where is the recognition for the many, many doctors that died treating their patients, our families, due to massive exposure to covid and either faulty or no PPE bought in from dodgy companies with government contacts who made millions at your expense.
It’s disgusting that a qualified doctor starts on £14 an hour and could earn the same working in a coffee shop or as a pizza delivery. Doctors that can’t pay their rent or afford to eat in their first year can’t just be told to rely on the potential of their future earnings. Their issue is that their pay has reduced by 26% whilst the cost of living and student loan costs have soared. They don’t want a pay rise, they want to stop the pay cuts, they want to restore their pay back to how it was in 2008 before the gradual year on year reduction, they have lost 26%. Support your doctors or prepare to lose them,
they do such a valuable job in a very difficult underfunded NHS which is about to sink, they are just about keeping it afloat for very little thanks. Don’t blame them for the NHS shortfalls blame the government for not caring about the NHS, it’s staff and by extension you.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/cost_of_living/4717351-doctor-salary?reply=122986187

@aramo student nurses don’t do bank nursing shifts they can do bank hca shifts same as medical students do.

@aramo medical students and nursing students are both free to apply for any bank unqualified care assistant jobs

It's a decent starting salary especially if you can afford to strike for 72hrs. Get a grip

They’re not paupers so of course striking isn’t going to be “unaffordable”.

But yeah, you applaud low paid medical staff and good luck if you need the NHS anytime soon.

Yes I heard that today on the radio and I was gobsmacked. These people achieved top A levels to get into medical school where they worked their socks off for 5-6 years doing exam after exam while doing on-the-job training. They can't afford housing in affluent areas and childcare costs are prohibitive. No wonder morale is rock bottom and there is a brain drain. Such a waste of talent and resources. The starting salary for a teacher - that's 3 years of university + one year postgrad is £28,000. That's not great either but it's interesting that early career doctors and teachers. Entry level plumbers are paid £28,554. Seems to be a race to the bottom at the moment.

It's year one fgs. Not a life salary. They are on 40k by year 3-4. Get of your emotional roller-coaster

Have you done your research on other healthcare systems around the world?

If you’re happy to pay more, then you’d support a rise in taxes which would pay for it at a much cheaper rate.

But if you mean “private” healthcare, just be aware that least 10% will go towards profit and you may not get a better outcome.

When the NHS was properly funded, it was one of the best in the world. That was a simple fact.

Well I couldn’t RTFT as it is horrendous. All I can say is that the public deserve the nhs they get.

whoops sorry - I pressed post too quickly. 'interesting that early career doctors and teachers are paid similar salaries'

The prices for private healthcare is beyond the reach of most of the population and we need to retain the few doctors that are there.

Also those comparing bin men to doctors 😅
ask your binmen to perform the Heart surgery if you ever need one.