A friend of mine (Dr OandG) asked me to post this for her today:
"I have always wanted to be a doctor and I’ve worked hard all my life to fulfil that dream. I studied hard to get a place at medical school and my family made sacrifices to ensure that I could pursue that goal. As a pre-registration doctor, I worked long hours, I was not paid for the extra time I spent; money has never been my driving factor. I spent time in an apprenticeship, learning the knowledge, craft, techniques and procedures from my trusted seniors.
Following that I joined the Obstetrics and Gynaecology training scheme. I continued to work incredibly hard to care for patients on top of passing my membership exams. I have sacrificed much of my personal time to achieve this; I have worked more weekends than I’d like to count and I have had to muster every last ounce of physical stamina for my long busy nights. Saying that, I have thoroughly enjoyed looking after patients of all ages, plus, I have had the privilege to bring new life into this world using both surgical and medical skills.
Of course, the day of birth is the most dangerous day in life. Many new parents have described holding their new baby as the happiest moment imaginable and some babies have even been named after me!
However, this is where my story may come to an end. I have not been offered a job to continue my dream, I have no interview and I did not get picked from the computer MTAS lottery system. I have dedicated my life to the service of others and I have done my utmost to deliver the best care I can. I have never asked for anything in return... "
For the latest action about the MMC, The Telegraph covered it on their front page. The morale amongst hospitals is at an all time low and I for one hope for justice in this matter. I am proud to call Dr O and G my friend.
Following that I joined the Obstetrics and Gynaecology training scheme. I continued to work incredibly hard to care for patients on top of passing my membership exams. I have sacrificed much of my personal time to achieve this; I have worked more weekends than I’d like to count and I have had to muster every last ounce of physical stamina for my long busy nights. Saying that, I have thoroughly enjoyed looking after patients of all ages, plus, I have had the privilege to bring new life into this world using both surgical and medical skills.
Of course, the day of birth is the most dangerous day in life. Many new parents have described holding their new baby as the happiest moment imaginable and some babies have even been named after me!
However, this is where my story may come to an end. I have not been offered a job to continue my dream, I have no interview and I did not get picked from the computer MTAS lottery system. I have dedicated my life to the service of others and I have done my utmost to deliver the best care I can. I have never asked for anything in return... "
For the latest action about the MMC, The Telegraph covered it on their front page. The morale amongst hospitals is at an all time low and I for one hope for justice in this matter. I am proud to call Dr O and G my friend.
12 comments:
I have never heard of any new baby being called droandg - sounds a bit of a mouthful! Love the blog though...great work.
tell her to come here!
I can't understand why you doctors are putting up with this mess?
What a monstrous business to introduce stealth redundancies under the disguise of a new training scheme. It will be costly to the services, patients and thousands of doctors who have sacrificed so much from their lives... And of course not to mention a sleepy union called BMA...
Hi Michelle, if Dr O and G
is midwife with a knife
I can't see how she has not been offered a position, do we have too many Doctors in O ang G?
PS - whilst I admire people who are dedicated to medicine, surgery and care of patients, those with more altruistic are no longer the majority, but a minority.
Private Dental Practices, Private GP Surgeries & Private Hospitals are all about how more can be charged to those who can afford to pay for treatment or can afford to have private health insurance, or whose jobs offer private health insurance as a benefit.
They are also very good at securing funds from government or billing the nhs & PCTs, and they are also clearly 'free' to refuse treatment to those who cannot pay.
I mean, offering a fifty per cent discount to those who can pay for treatment up front may be a brilliant idea - if you can afford to pay treatment up front whether it be £2-3,000 for dentistry, £10-12,000 for hip replacement, or £20,000 for heart surgery ...
But why are these costs so high?
If you want a private health service - scrap the £90 billion nhs
If you want a £90 billion nhs, do not allow doctors to occupy places in the nhs (preventing more worthy people like your friend Dr O and G getting a job in the NHS) and then fail to fulfil your nhs commitments because you are too busy in your private practice - but still collecting your NHS fees.
Michelle, on previous topics
How Eating Less Might Make You Live Longer
BMI Not Accurate Indicator Of Body Fat, New Research Suggests
Whole Body Regeneration From A Blood Vessel
Wow, Michelle, why are the responders so vituperous to these last two posts? Why are they projecting onto these poor innocent young doctors what they feel about "doctors" in general?
Just from a dollars and cents point of view (sorry pounds) it makes no sense. Huge amounts of government money has been spent on the years of training for these individuals and now they're not wanted. Owen said it, "stealth redundancies under the disguise of a new training scheme."
This post brought tears to my eyes, and she's just one of many.
Hoping for success for your campaign
jmb
Good Lord. It really is sickening to see so many good doctors having their futures crushed like this. If there's any justice in the world, people who spend their lives slaving away in the service of others shouldn't be put through this. Especially in a place like the UK.
Thanks for highlighting the MTAS nightmare and accommodating your friend. All the best to her. I hear Australia is eager to recruit good doctors.
We all support her on this, please tell her keep posting on your blog and let us know her progress. This is a truly outrageous situation.
Simon, we want to keep her here!
Michelle,
First, a blanket thank you for all your interesting posts I have read and not commented on in the past.
As for the plight of your friend, I can certainly sympathize. OTOH, one of my closest friends is an OB-GYN (as we call them) in the Northeastern US and has been practicing for about 20 years. The cost of malpractice insurance, the rampant litigation (and legal vultures who are always threatening new actions) have taken almost all of the fun and most of the profit out of what he does.
As many OBGYNs retire and/or give up, there is not a new generation of doctors willing to practice in this environment, so we have a shortage in the US -- and it will get much worse.
USA Today was reporting on this problem 5 years ago: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2002-05-06-obstetricians.htm
It has only gotten worse since then.
Good luck to your friend. Opportunities about in the US, but for the wrong reasons.
Hi Dr O and G
Why have you not been offered another post, because there are no vacancies? - because we have recruited from elsewhere in Europe, Africa, India or China?
I watch ER, Holby City and Gray's Anatomy - and despair at what the medical profession has become.
We always hear about junior doctors working long hours, and being low paid (hourly rate) you mean low paid compared to a Senior Consultant (out busy playing golf) or low paid compared to a waitress or shop assistant on minimum wage.
You know Thatcher smashed every union, except the Doctors and Money Lenders (Bankers) Union.
Doctors are incredibly good at ratchetting nhs costs to £90 billion a year - but then want private dental surgeries, private General Practices, and private hospitals - so they can be free to charge what they like - and free to refuse treatment to those who cannot pay.
Then why pay the nhs £1,500 year on year for every man woman and child in Britain - if you do not intend to provide a free service. Why have internal pricing driving costs spiralling upwards.
GPs pays have gone up by 50% in the last three years, plus however much the value of their property or practice (built with nhs money) has gone up in value.
Now jmb this may not be a reason to criticise the medical profession in your eye, but I will not be lured by emotional outbursts to continue to support the most corrupt pyramid in Society
And junior doctors are not the bade of the pyramid. Not even nurses (with better paid and subsidised affordable key worker housing) - but the volunteers and carers who look after the sick before and after hospital.
It seems the Medical Profession and Pharmaceutical Industry have learnt how to quickly soak uo the £90 billion from the NHS (the bulk of health spending in the uk) like blotting paper - yet we have more people sick, or disabled - and people with dental problems who cannot pay are offered worse services than fifty years ago.
Thosae who do not need dental treatment may smuggly say brush your teeth. Well one could also say to people needing heart surgery or hip replacement, or cancer treatment - or whatever else happens to be the high costs high profit darling of the MBA, the GMC the RCS or MRC - how did people use to manage before we had £10,000 or £20,000 pound operations
And would you expect more from your builder putting on a £10-20,000 extension to your home, than we expect from surgeons and hospitals.
Everyone in Society deserves a decent education, a decent home, a decent job, decent work conditions, decent pay, decent health care, and a decent pension.
Whether junior doctors or junior nurses, or junior whatever!
Simon, rc, owen, ellee - thanks kindly for your comments.
Quasar9 - Dr OandG is not midwife with a knife, as they live in different countries. Only one works (for now) for the NHS. Many thanks for the links.
jmb - I have no idea why people feel " so vituperous to these last two posts" - it is interesting to note that doctor support has often come from outside the UK on this blog topic.
Quasar9 - "ER, Holby City and Gray's Anatomy" which you say you watch, do NOT offer a true refection of hospital work, at all. The NHS system may not be perfect, but it's certainly not akin to media medicine. Thanks for joining in the discussion. We all want the best patient care.
bill luby - thanks for your kind comments and I'm glad you enjoy the blog.
Many thanks for all comments posted.
Michelle
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