Word of warning to junior ophthalmologists

EDITOR,—I recently spent several humbling and depressing hours trying to shortlist half a dozen applicants for a career registrar post in ophthalmology. There were 30 applications for the one post, which is only the 11th such post to be advertised in the BMJ during the first eight months of 1994.

Twenty four applicants had an FRCS or FRCOphth; four also had an MRCP; three had an MSc; one had an MD; one had an MRCGP; many were multiple prize winners; and most had multiple publications. Any one of the applicants would have had no problem in obtaining a registrar …