This really baffles me...

Doctors don't really contribute anything to the economy, they leech off it, so their pay should be pretty low.

Let's look at the facts about medicine:

- Thousands of people apply to do it, it is the single most competitive course in the country. Many of these people genuinely want to help people, however many applicants are motivated by the money.
- Only a fractions of applicants will get a place onto the course. The people that get places are not necessarily the ones who are most suited for the job. The ones motivated by money will make less caring doctors and waste government funded training.
- Doctors are still paid 6-figure salaries once they specialise, even though there is such a large supply of people who would do medicine even if it paid alot less.

So why are doctors still paid so much? Basic supply and demand states that when supply increases, price decreases. However the government still pays doctors high salaries even though there are many people not getting places into medicine, who would be willing to do the job without the motivation of money. I know that doctors undoubtedly deserve their wages, but if they were paid less we would only get applicants who want to do medicine for the right reasons.

I was thinking the same thing, but I guess its the same principle as footballers, i.e there are a hell of a lot of people trying to become pro footballers, yet there's very few exceptionally gifted players like Messi, who earn a lot of money. I guess the same could be said for doctors. Although, I think they should certainly be paid less, they are paid far too much in my opinion

I was thinking the same thing, but I guess its the same principle as footballers, i.e there are a hell of a lot of people trying to become pro footballers, yet there's very few exceptionally gifted players like Messi, who earn a lot of money. I guess the same could be said for doctors. Although, I think they should certainly be paid less, they are paid far too much in my opinion

You sound like you have a bit of a chip on your shoulder?!

I see you want to study medicine abroad, when you qualify are you going to be campaigning to have your salary reduced or have I misjudged you and you're are actually going to donate it to charity?

I know it's your opinion, but I don't see how doctors get paid too much. For the time put in, the responsibilities of the job, the skill level required etc. I think doctors get paid a relatively reasonable amount. The peak salary you can earn as a doctor isn't that much greater (in many cases it's less) than what you could earn in a senior position in another career. I'm curious about what makes you think doctors earn too much.

For a start, they work 4 days a week. Actually, correction I think GP's earn too much, doctors in hospitals etc. prob earn a justified salary. When you compare what a GP earns compared to someone else who works in say Iinvestment banking earning the same, the IB guy will work considerably longer hours generally. Im not doubting they are very skilled, thats a given

Easier ways of making money than medicine.

You take on a huge amount of responsibility for other peoples welfare more so than most other healthcare professions, you have the stress of constant exams throughout your career, the emotional strain of seeing people die/suffer, you must constantly update your knowledge and it's a high pressure job,you train for 5+ years before earning any money (36k in fees at the moment)....

But I think that many medics would do the job for less pay

For a start, they work 4 days a week. Actually, correction I think GP's earn too much, doctors in hospitals etc. prob earn a justified salary. When you compare what a GP earns compared to someone else who works in say Iinvestment banking earning the same, the IB guy will work considerably longer hours generally. Im not doubting they are very skilled, thats a given

how?

surely its 5 x 9k = £45k for tuition alone? (or £54k if you intercalate..) or is this somehow wrong?

I don't know much about the IB pay scale, but I bet they get paid more than 55K (a likely salary for a salaried GP only working 4 days per week). Most do earn more, but that is because they are partners in a private contract with the NHS and undertake significant administrative responsibilities and certainly don't work 4 days a week.

And consider what they had to do to get there - had to do a 5 or 6 year degree (paid nothing), then move around the country with little say in where to train working extremely long hours, getting paid circa 30K, then had to train for another 5 years to become a GP. So 12 years of training to be a GP (i think that's right). How long does it take IBers to start earning the big bucks? My friend is now earning 45K straight out of uni so after just 3 years, almost as much as your 4-day-a-week GP already!

Some practices earn significantly more. You could perhaps make a case for these people not 'deserving' it. Although you think investment all bankers deserve what they get, so that argument would be a bit hypocritical for you.



Yes - you only pay for 4 years max.

Yes - you only pay for 4 years max.

If you don't think some people do medicine for the money you are very naive.

I don't necessarily think all IB's deserve their pay, the recent relevations have justified this. Its difficult to say cos at the end of the day, bankers are often creating money as well so its performance based, although recent examples show this isn't always the case. Yeh, most GP's earn 6 figures

Ah I see, is this about the NHS paying your 5th(/6th) year?



:/ ... You'd have to be a bit of an idiot to go into medicine for the sole purpose of making money. With the intellect of a typical medical student, in fact lets take myself - A*AAA, If i or anyone in my position were only motivated by money I'd take a different career path. There are many reasons I've chosen to study Medicine. Of course I've looked at what my quality of life will be - and I understand I will live quite comfortably. If i wanted to be able to afford several holidays a year, much nicer house/car and whatever else materialistic I'd go about it a different way. If you think about it for 5/6 years of study and working almost all year there after and the awkward hours of work and not to mention the literally non-stop learning and taking exams all your life as well as the responsibility/pressure/stress thats on the average doctor - if you work out how they are earning per hour, it is infact very very little. Yes doctors earn a lot more the average joe per annum, but they also work a lot more hours etc..



Hi, just curious is this 6 figure salary prior to paying tax? In which case it would be about 50k per annum and therefore ~4k a month?

What do you mean they only work 4 days a week?! Some do, the same as some hospital doctors work 4 days a week, and they earn less for it.

Besides you still haven't answered the question. Fair enough you think GPs get paid too much, but how much do you think they should get paid.

To make it easier let's think about a typical salaried GP working full time doing ~ 50hrs per week with no out of hours work. How much do you think they should get paid which will appropriately recompense the training, responsibility and skill set required to be a GP?

I don't know much about the IB pay scale, but I bet they get paid more than 55K (a likely salary for a salaried GP only working 4 days per week). Most do earn more, but that is because they are partners in a private contract with the NHS and undertake significant administrative responsibilities and certainly don't work 4 days a week.

Its a difficult question to answer how much they should get paid as you've got to weigh up many things but I think the fact that GP's normally start on 6 figure salaries is too high.

A medical degree is a huge investment of time and money (especially now) so people do want to see some returns when they progress. As long as you are a good doctor and do your job right then it really doesn't matter what your motivation for doing medicine is be it money or the urge to help people.

To be quite honest, doctors deserve to earn a lot more than they currently do..

Their salaries in this country really arent spectacular, im sure there are plenty of docs who dont even make 6 figures. In america they earn a lot more

Its a difficult question to answer how much they should get paid as you've got to weigh up many things but I think the fact that GP's normally start on 6 figure salaries is too high.