Many families have to find over £3,000 a year to fund their children through medical school, a report reveals.
The BMA research says that two thirds of medical students are now relying on parental support while they study, with the average amount being given in a year standing at £3,123. This equates to over £15,000 during the course of a five-year medical degree.
The report, which surveyed nearly 2,000 students, also finds that juniors who graduated in 2009 left medical school with an average debt of £22,851 - a fifth higher than in 2008.
The number of students entering medicine from low income groups remains poor, with just one in 20 medical students coming from the lowest two income groups.
Louise McMenemy, the BMA’s student finance lead, said: “The UK is facing a growing crisis in medical student finance that many policy makers appear unwilling to address.
“It is vital that these huge financial burdens are tackled, especially by the current higher education funding review, and not exacerbated by any further rise in tuition fees. This move would be a disaster, as we are already facing a situation where the NHS risks being denied the services of talented individuals with the ability, but not the bank balance, to get them through medical school.”
Read the full report.
Tags: Debt, Equality, Medical students
