It is interesting to read your article about number of doctors
intending to leave medicine or UK in future. I think medicine used to be a
pleasure in the past and now has become an exercise of lifelong
competition, maintaining standards,passing exams,revalidations etc. Though
these procedures are good for raising standards but all these assessments
are subjective and therefore inherently liable to false positives and
negatives.I agree it is difficult to formulate a nonsubjective way of
assessment and appraisals.Having come form India a few years back I can
understand how doctors are willing to travel for professional,lifestyle
and economical reasons. Number of doctors moving within UK from one
hospital to another have substantially increased in recent years. In most
of these cases they are moving from one area to another at same pay and
same work. They are obviously looking for happiness.I go back to your
online survey in 2001 where it showed that anything from 40- 70% doctors
were in "unhappy" category anywhere in the world.It is clearly going to
continue that people will move from country A to B, hospital X to
Y,speciality Y to Z and even a career change from B to C and so on.The
urge to do something more and better will continue to affect our
profession and I dont know whether thats what makes it interesting,
problematic or just challanging-depends on your own outlook.
Rapid Response:
?Looking for happiness and better life
It is interesting to read your article about number of doctors
intending to leave medicine or UK in future. I think medicine used to be a
pleasure in the past and now has become an exercise of lifelong
competition, maintaining standards,passing exams,revalidations etc. Though
these procedures are good for raising standards but all these assessments
are subjective and therefore inherently liable to false positives and
negatives.I agree it is difficult to formulate a nonsubjective way of
assessment and appraisals.Having come form India a few years back I can
understand how doctors are willing to travel for professional,lifestyle
and economical reasons. Number of doctors moving within UK from one
hospital to another have substantially increased in recent years. In most
of these cases they are moving from one area to another at same pay and
same work. They are obviously looking for happiness.I go back to your
online survey in 2001 where it showed that anything from 40- 70% doctors
were in "unhappy" category anywhere in the world.It is clearly going to
continue that people will move from country A to B, hospital X to
Y,speciality Y to Z and even a career change from B to C and so on.The
urge to do something more and better will continue to affect our
profession and I dont know whether thats what makes it interesting,
problematic or just challanging-depends on your own outlook.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests