Over the years, a lot of rubbish has been talked about the trajectory of medical careers in Britain, usually with the motive of drumming up special sympathy, or extra money, for some put upon group or other.

So it’s refreshing to encounter what look like definitive discussions of the topic: a report from the Royal College of Physicians and two studies from the UK Medical Careers Research Group in Oxford. The first study (based on surveys of all doctors working in the NHS who graduated in 1977, 1988, and 1993) found that the key factor determining career progression was working pattern, not female sex. Working part time delayed progression to consultant or GP principal status equally in men and women. Women and men working full time …