Fucked up medical system

When I started my first day in Medicine, I only had one aim. To become a doctor, to climb up the hierachy ladder at a pace I feel comfortable with, and to do voluntary services whenever I think I am at an adequate level to do so. This route has been tough, and I have cursed uncountable times as I struggle my way through Phase 1. And I'm sure I'll continue cursing more as I struggle down this dark tunnel, but somehow my faith in believing that there must be a golden light at the end of it, kept me on the same path.

But the deeper I go into it, I start asking myself if there really is my ray of hope. I suddenly remembered Grandaunt's "You're still living in a world of idealism at your age. But idealism is different from realism."

I was very sad last night as I laid in bed, thinking of what the Consultant Anaesthetist told me in the day. I felt like an innocent childish kid entering Medicine years ago with my innocent childish ideas, only to realise that the world isn't as beautiful as I thought it would be.

With the changes made to the medical hierachy system made here in UK, it will make my life tougher. Like all foreign students who did Medicine here, we're asked to leave after 26 months of working in UK. We can choose to stay after 26 mths, but we're given last priority for jobs.

It's not fair especially when we have paid so much tuition fees, and it's not as if we're definitely not comparable to the Brits and EU ppl. It's racist, if u think of it, but what we can say about it? It just makes me hate UK even more. And I won't even encourage anyone to do Medicine in the UK, since it's legal robbery for the least gains.

I was told about the specialist training scheme yesterday by the Consultant Anaesthetist for Anaesthesia. No, I'm not planning into going into that, but the scheme is somewhat similar for all the other types of specialty training I am hoping to do.

For Anaesthetics, apparently, doctors who have finished their 2 years of housemanship can apply for the specialist training if they want to go into this specialty. That would mean, your senior who is 5 years above u who have happily stayed in the Medical Officer level can be fighting with you for the place as long as he/she wants to do it.

And there are only 22 posts in the whole of Wales!

Competition is therefore deemed to be extremely fierce (now what's that competition for medical school entrance compared to this?). If you get selected for one of the 22 posts, then you're on the "Guaranteed" route (Route 1) to becoming a Consultant in the years to come, PROVIDED you pass your exams within 2 times, if not, u will be kicked out of this "Guaranteed" route, and will have to choose another specialty and compete for that new specialty's training from scratch, like as if u have just passed out from your 2 years of housemanship.

Should u be unlucky enough to not get into the "Guaranteed" route, u can fight for the chance to get into Route 2, which has only like 2 places available, whereby you will be guaranteed to join Route 1 at some point (with the same conditions applied for Route 1).

BUT if u are unlucky enough to not get either Route 1 or 2, there is Route 3. There are 60 places, and you get to join Route 1 only if anyone drops out from Route 1. And should no one drops out, u get thrown to what they call "Career Grade", where u basically stay stuck in that level without being degraded or upgraded. I think during this time, u can keep applying for Route 1 again and again until u get in, but how long it'll take will be another issue.

Reason for this fucked up system is because of Funding. Deanery funds Route 1-3, but the hospital trust funds the Career Grades. And because this stupid NHS is so poor, they are trying to paying doctors as little as they can. So if they keep most people in the Career Grades, the NHS can save costs by giving them minimal pay for maximum work done.

Now, is that shit.

My plans are just to get my ass back to Sg after 2 years, but I'm sure many more ppl will be thinking the same, and with Sg opening up to more foreigners, I feel threatened about not being able to secure a place I hope to get.

I don't understand why doing something I want is so difficult. I used to think that as long as I get through the medical school entrance, my route is kinda secured, but I am oh so wrong about it. And people ard me are thinking I'm so lucky because it's a career that guarantees a job since the world has a lack of doctors. But does it seem to be so? I doubt it since there is a huge estimate of doctors becoming unemployed, especially with this new condemned UK system. Where are these docs gonna go from there? Work in Tescos? I'm not surprised.

And the greatest joke are the people involved in this shit telling u "Apply only if you're really interested". Does that make any sense? It will make perfect sense if someone knows he/she is likely to get the specialty they want. But it makes no sense if u have been rejected endless times by various specialties, and u're forced to choose a specialty u dread but had to do so because u have no choice (unless u wanna be unemployed)..and live with this misery until the day u decide to retire.

Probably u'll find that the job you dread might not be as bad, and will soon grow to love it, but hey...how many end up being so? You'll be pleased enough to find them not getting into depression.

It also makes me wonder how, with such a system, can patients be provided with the best care, when some of the doctors who are in the specialty got in without a choice and absolutely hates their job. Can't blame grumpy doctors now, can u? They're grumpy for a reason, and for all u know, this might be it.