News bites
BMJ 2006; 332 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.060248 (Published 01 February 2006) Cite this as: BMJ 2006;332:060248
UK medical students feel pressured to impress with hobbies
More than two thirds of medical students feel under pressure to bolster their CV with extracurri-cular activities, especially with the new foundation programme seen as favouring such endeavours in the scoring process for job allocation, a BMA Student News survey found. “We are expected to be superhuman at times,” said Southampton second year Anna Selby. “How is anybody supposed to be president of a university society, play a musical instrument, do volunteer work, play a sport, travel the world, and win prizes in competitions at the same time as obtaining a first class degree?” Seventy one per cent of students questioned said that they felt under pressure to take up extra hobbies for the sake of their CV. But then again, 76% said that outside interests did make for a more well rounded doctor, and just under two thirds said that employers should be taking notice of extracurricular activities. One student found a novel way to stand out from the crowd: “I have been a dancer at a nightclub, and I always find this attracts some attention in an interview” (www.timesonline.co.uk).
UK final year medical student debt tops £20 000
Average final year medical student debt has topped £20 000, the BMA said. The association's annual medical student finance survey for 2004-5 showed that fifth year students owed an average £20 172 and that those in the final year of a six year course had debts of £22 635. More than one hundred respondents to the survey of 1877 medical students from first to final years had debts of more than £30 000. One in 10 owed more than £25 000. “The average sixth year medical student now owes more than the basic annual salary …
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