Medical trainees facing student finance hardship

Tue, 08 Nov 2011

Medical trainees who take out student loans in order to fund their higher education may find they are left in more financial hardship than peers on other courses.

According to the British Medical Association (BMA) - which was founded by Sir Charles Hastings at Worcester Infirmary in 1832 - and its Medical Student Finance Survey, such scholars from poor backgrounds could be leaving university with debts £13,000 higher than others.

While it was shown the average student arrears on graduation currently amounts to £24,092, this figure leaps to £37,588 for those whose families are on lower incomes.

Elly Pilavachi, co-chairwoman of the BMA's Medical Student Committee, said: "Many are clearly heavily dependent on financial support from their families and friends to get through the intensive, five-to-six-year medical course."

The industry figure noted the state of affairs is particularly alarming for those from less well-off backgrounds.

And while average debt levels for medical students escalated by £183 in the last 12 months, an increase of £11,264 has been witnessed for poorer individuals in the same time.
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