Top Up Fees Mean Medical Student Debt Could Almost Double, UK

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 30 May 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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New medical students are likely to graduate with debts of £37,000 the BMA said today (Friday 30 May 2008), hugely damaging future government efforts to encourage students from lower socio-economic groups into the profession1.

The report, from the BMA's Medical Students Committee, paints a stark picture of huge debts for any student wanting to become a doctor. It says the introduction of variable top up fees2 is already having an effect on student debt, and means when new entrants graduate their average level of debt will be nearly double the current £20,000.

It also warns that if the government decides to lift the cap on university tuition fees in 2010, which many fear it will do, the effect on medicine would be "catastrophic" with average medical graduate debt almost tripling to over £57,000. Students in London, where the cost of living is higher, would be worst hit with average debts of £67,0003.

The BMA believes doubling the amount of medical graduate debt would seriously affect the number of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds choosing medicine as a career. Research shows that two thirds of students who chose not to go to university said avoiding debt was a major factor in their decision. And while bursaries can ease the pressure, the current system is very confusing and leaves prospective students unable to find out how much financial support they might get.

Ian Noble, Chairman of the BMA's Medical Student Committee, said:

"We think it is best for patients and the NHS if doctors represent the society they serve. But it's very likely that many able sixth form students, who want to become doctors, will be put off by the idea of such large debts when they graduate. £40,000 or even £60,000 of debt is a huge amount to ask someone that young to take on, particularly because medicine is a less certain career than it used to be. Becoming a doctor must not become the preserve of the wealthy, yet if something isn't done, that is the way it could go."

Medical student debt is worse than average student debt because degrees run for a minimum of five years, term times are longer, which reduces the opportunity for part time working, and there are also additional expenses for equipment or travel to placements.

The BMA report predicts a number of scenarios of debt for current medical students and shows repayments will be highest at the start of a junior doctor's career when they can least afford it. Tom Foley, Chairman of the Medical Students Finance Subcommittee, said:

"All the modelling in this report shows that students will increasingly be forced into huge amounts of debt, to the extent that in some cases the government could end up having to write debts off4. We're worried that medical students are being unfairly penalised and more importantly, that this will put off prospective students from even applying to medicine. There has to be an independent review looking into the specific issues surrounding medical student finance."

Notes

1. The government has a number of initiatives aimed at widening participation in higher education. However the latest figures from UCAS show applications from lower socio-economic groups have moved very little, up by 0.7% in 2008 to 29.9%

2. The 2007 new entrants to university were the first group to pay variable tuition fees. Under the old system students had to pay a flat rate of £1,175, now it can be anything up to £3,000. According to the 2007 BMA Medical Student Finance survey first year students paid an average of £2,779.

3. If tuition fees rose to £7,000 and the rate of interest rose to 6%.

4. Student loans are written off after 25 years. This would apply, for example, to a London student who doesn't progress to the consultant or GP partner grade and who enters the Staff and Associate Speciality grade where the entry level is £33,264 p.a.

The full report is available here.

British Medical Association

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