Struggling to make ends meet as a junior doctor. AIBU?

[HK3444]

Struggling to make ends meet. Rent has gone up, food bills are going up and struggling to support my kids.

I’m someone worked really hard through medical school, it felt like endless exams and accumulated student debt with the hope that I’d be able to support my family comfortably at the end of the degree and but also feel job satisfaction bettering the health of others.

Not sure what this was all for… can’t believe I’m in this situation as a doctor

@Loussa that sounds off or made up. 55k is a good salary, even for London. If your young colleagues are missing meals on that salary they have serious debt or budgeting issues.

Haven’t rtft nor followed what’s going on closely but just as an overall picture I wonder what pay restoration and increasing aging population looks like in reality. How much more and who pays?

By 2036 1 in 11 will be employed by the NHS, if we need to pay 35% more for the largest employer - how do we deal with that tax wise

And all those going on about medics taking early retirement - in procedural specialities, it's often necessary. Do you really want a surgeon with shaky hands?

There are medics in my family as well as lawyers and people working in other professions that require a degree. The medics worked a lot harder in their younger years. I noticed this when doing my degree too.

Holding a gun to the heads of dying patient for a 35% pay rise is deeply unethical.

It makes me wonder what kind of people we are producing to become doctors in the first place.

I never mentioned party politics, the Tories are IN govt, strikes will be long gone by the time of the next GE but it does seem the Tories are using our health to make a point....

3% ? one JD said they settle for that IF a long term deal was done on pay restoration. (Govt offer so far is last years 8%, plus 3% this year)

The Docs aren't asking for a one off 35% deal.

Scottish Doc's settled on 12.4% plus pay restoration over time (all back dated to April 23)

the sticking point atm is the Tories refuse to negotiate during strike action, if they offered the Scottish deal, not a lot more, the strike could end today and only the Tories can do that, not Labour.

Yes maybe, but they are retired by 58 that’s the difference- on gold plated pensions whilst the rest of us carry on for another twenty years!! At least….

@Newchapterbeckons The kind of people who care about all the people who will need medical care in the future, because the current situation is unsustainable?

Hate to say it but we either need to raise taxes or shrink the NHS or probably both, sadly. But it's the growing and ageing population that's the problem. Continued failure to increase doctors' and other NHS workers' salaries in line with inflation will just make it an even less desirable place to work and result in fewer staff to treat a higher number of patients. The NHS in its current form is not sustainable but scrimping on doctors' salaries isn't the answer.

Is what’s coming doable, how will it be?

35% more over time plus huge jump in employees from 1 in 17 to 1 in 11

Its outrageous. As are all of the race to the bottom types commenting. Would like to see them post how many hours they work a week against their total income (includibg their top ups and childcare support).

This country has become a total joke. I went to cuba in 2006 and spoke to a man who was driving a rickshaw. He told me that it was depressing and no point having any ambition as even doctors are poor. I found that unfathomable in 2006 but it is basically the way this country is going (not just doctors, but teachers as well as lots of other traditional professions - see reference to accountants above).

Doctors contribute a huge amount to society and are some of our brightest people. Why would we not reward them. We wouldn't have a staffing crisis if we did. Its also a career open to all if they study hard. There are plenty of doctors from very working class backgrounds. Instead they get to work in a toxic environment (with the personal risk of negligence hanging over them) for below par pay whilst people on UC offer them budgeting tips. Insane.

My grades weren't high enough for med school. I'm a lawyer with around 10 years pqe. I work similar hours to a hospital doctor. have had years out for child raising etc. i don't live in london and am the equivalent to a registrar grade (not a law firm partner). Provided I hit my huge hours target (which i will as i work hospital dr hours and sacrifice time with my family) i will earn c.£160k this year (before tax obviously) I too have a clear path to promotion so should be able to increase my income significantly further as I am promoted. Junior doctors with 5years post qual experience should be earning at least £80k (which is hardly living the high life but would be more appropriate pegged to the training and sacrifice they have undergone as well as the stressful nature of the role).

OP if i were you, I would learn to administer botox and fillers and get an instagram account. One of the school mums does that (she's not even a medic) and is raking it in. She only works during school hours. Not adding much to society though. A friends husband swapped to dentistry (no idea how- guess a lot more exams) as the life as a junior dr was so shit.

Fuck me, thats a disgrace.

I was on 22ph in my last job in the UK, no degree, no qualifications etc and I spent most of my time on MN and facebook etc because I'd knock all my work out in the first hour or so of the day.

@Newchapterbeckons Over a lifetime, electricians and plumbers earn more, on average, than doctors. And "gold plated pensions"? What will the current crop of JDs be on when they retire? Please stop pretending it's the 70s!

The few consultants and GPs i know have carried on working well into their sixties.

People in the UK retire at 67, not 78 but as said, you really don't want the elderly doing your heart surgery.

This is utter BS!!!

The GE is likely to be in a few months!
The strikes will still be continuing as no one can possibly agree to the ludicrous pay demands!

This is NOT a one off payment at all and you know it.
As every other NHS employee will expect the same terms, and why wouldn’t they??

The junior doctors supporting this are greedy, grasping militants that have no respect at all for the patients lives they should be saving!!!!!

It’s a fucking disgrace with zero public support.

Medical schools have no issue at all in recruitment and retainment. Largely because it’s a guaranteed job at the end, on a decent salary. It is hard work though and the postgrad training years are difficult.

I’m not sure what the answer is atm but I don’t think there’s clear enough thought on numbers

Someone mentioned AI in pp which may help but it needs to be quite fast

@EasternStandard So every other developed nation is on the wrong track?

I suspect that this thread has been made up by a journalist to get reactions.
why would you have two kids knowing the conditions JD have and knowing that by waiting you will be in a more senior stable position?

Well as someone who needed medical care twice in December I definitely had doctors caring for me in December, which was just a few days ago, and some of it during the previous strike.

One GC born during the last strike and definitely doctors involved in caring for mum and baby. Friends baby admitted to hospital during the last strike and again doctors definitely involved in care. Elderly relative needed antibiotics for a severe chest infection and doctor visited and prescribed antibiotics.

We must all be very lucky except being ill doesn't seem lucky. Not sure how to balance that.

The retirement age by the time the juniors get to it will be above 78. Most people are already having to work later, and they have the property equity and comfortable pensions. We won’t have that.

My surgeon was 72 - he is a rare beast admittedly as most are retired decades before, but he is a leading light. Skill and experience is very valuable, you sound very ageist and discriminatory.

"Most professions require a degree, perhaps a masters and specialist training on small salaries to start. Law, finance etc. "

Law is not a small salary to start unless you are doing conveyancing or crime on the high street. NQ wages in London are now well over £100k (significantly over in the most prestigious firms (that are staffed with people with similar qualifications as those that have been through med school). Even in the regions lawyers are qualifying on over £60k having had all of their training and professional fees paid for and often given a maintenance grant whilst studying post grad).

But they are not retiring at 55 on gold plated pensions are they!

Yes it's telling that the OP hasn't returned after making his/ her rather emotional statement - despite being on strike!

Bigger issues in retaining and recruiting medics in the peripheries of the U.K. Medics often want to stay in the cities they trained in and there’s a high competition rate to go to London for Foundation training.