Is medicine dead as a field?

I am a regular in the subreddit JuniordoctorsUK, and I was wondering if medicine as a field, at least in the UK, truly finished and dead?

Regularly FY1s and FY2s and even ST3s are put on brain-less scut service provision jobs like discharge letters or clerking and bloods/cannulas while the allied health professionals like AHPs and PAs are being given training opportunities and more chances to take part in patient care, often competing with SPRs while being paid more. All that plus the constant infantilization of doctors that exists prevalently in the NHS.

Is medicine as a field in the UK dead? I feel bad for anyone who is tied to the NHS at the moment but as a person on a scheme at least I have the option of leaving to Canada/Australia after I finish.

As of now if someone were to ask me if they recommend going into medicine I'd say no, do PA or AHP instead because 1) less work hours 2) better pay and 3) more opportunities to take part in patient care.

Reply 1

Democracy

21

I mean, working in the NHS is ****, obviously. It wasn't great pre-pandemic and now it's just...pretty awful for many doctors, especially at the sharp end of acute or primary care. Medical training is basically an afterthought in many hospitals and specialties.

Is medicine dead though? No, there is a national and worldwide shortage of doctors and this is a reality despite whichever non-medical profession is being touted as a panacea this week. Either go abroad or work in a specialty in the UK that is still relatively well protected.

Reply 2

Anonymous #2

Original post by Democracy

I mean, working in the NHS is ****, obviously. It wasn't great pre-pandemic and now it's just...pretty awful for many doctors, especially at the sharp end of acute or primary care. Medical training is basically an afterthought in many hospitals and specialties.

Is medicine dead though? No, there is a national and worldwide shortage of doctors and this is a reality despite whichever non-medical profession is being touted as a panacea this week. Either go abroad or work in a specialty in the UK that is still relatively well protected.

Not a doctor but recent experiences have highlighted the importance of clinical expertise and leadership in all fields. The fact we're in an era where people responsible for patients don't know about statin indications or inhaler usage is alarming.

Reply 3

Anonymous #3

Original post by Anonymous

I am a regular in the subreddit JuniordoctorsUK, and I was wondering if medicine as a field, at least in the UK, truly finished and dead?

Regularly FY1s and FY2s and even ST3s are put on brain-less scut service provision jobs like discharge letters or clerking and bloods/cannulas while the allied health professionals like AHPs and PAs are being given training opportunities and more chances to take part in patient care, often competing with SPRs while being paid more. All that plus the constant infantilization of doctors that exists prevalently in the NHS.

Is medicine as a field in the UK dead? I feel bad for anyone who is tied to the NHS at the moment but as a person on a scheme at least I have the option of leaving to Canada/Australia after I finish.

As of now if someone were to ask me if they recommend going into medicine I'd say no, do PA or AHP instead because 1) less work hours 2) better pay and 3) more opportunities to take part in patient care.

AHPs are allied health professions and have had their own scope of practice for over a century in some cases. They are completely separate from doctors. Conversely, advanced clinical practitioners - whilst these include some AHPs who have retrained - and PAs have only been around for a short time. Whilst they may compete with doctors for opportunities, please don’t lump them all in together.

Reply 4

WinterSky12

4

Medicine as a profession is constantly evolving and changing but unfortunately the lack of investment and support for our angels in the NHS has lead to job duties varying wildly and sometimes on the cusp of being considered of "what I signed up for". It's important to note that it isn't the subject dying. It's the poorly managed system we have and the lack of innovation in electronic health records, scanning and AI assisted clerical work means juniors and senior GPs alike spend a good portion of their day filling in paperwork (BMA Statistics but can't find the exact one). Also recommending others to go into PA and AHP positions won't fix anything just move the problem and paperwork onto someone else. And physician associates do a good job but are usually the ones roped into initial triages and filling in paperwork plus a registration body being formed will definitely shake the position of physician associate up. Just remember what you're seeing is more of systematic problem as it is a medicine as a discipline problem.

Is medicine dead as a field?

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