It's good to talk

UK medical students are living in interesting times. The Modernising Medical Careers programme has thrown career prospects into doubt. The cost of gaining a UK medical degree continues to rise. And rising numbers of medical students on the wards puts more and more pressure on clinical teaching time and funding. Medical students need to make their concerns known, but the recent history of interaction between the government and medical students and doctors has shown that this can be difficult.

But the government may be about to listen more carefully to students. As part of Gordon Brown's project of listening to the people, the government has created a National Student Forum, which will allow students to present their ideas and concerns direct to government. The forum will consist of between 15 and 20 students from different higher education bodies such as the National Union of Students and the Mature Students Union. The delegates will produce an …