[seraphina]

Surely if we're just running with these medical analogies the most sensible one is that it's a bit like the difference between GPs and hospital consultants. Both will have done the same medical degree and have a high level of medical knowledge, but one is more specialised and the other a bit more general. At some point, for reasons of personal preference and lifestyle considerations, they'll have made a choice to go in one direction or the other. A GP/solicitor will be the patient/client's first point of contact, can deal with the issue themselves if it's routine or refer them to a consultant/barrister if they need specialist treatment or an operation/representing in court or a complex opinion.

[seraphina]

I think idea that barristers are more prestigious comes about because there are far fewer barristers than solicitors and solicitors span a much wider range of work and quality. There isn't really the barrister equivalent of the not great high street firms that will be most people's main experience of solicitors when they've needed a basic will or a bit of conveyancing done.

If you're comparing barristers to solicitors at say, the top twenty firms (maybe more) however, there's not going to be much in it and I doubt many people who know anything about either profession would argue otherwise.