Confessions of a junior doctor

Last night I did a catch up and watched 3 episodes I had recorded. It was enthralling to watch, they were so open and honest and it certainly showed you how things are from their side of things. As usual the shortage of beds queues in corridors etc were very disturbing to see.

My OH worked something similar in the 70s as a junior doc.

The worst scenario was as a country GP in a dispensing practice before mobile phones - even if you bought one they were the size of a brick and had virtually no coverage.

He worked every day (except Weds), every other night, and every other weekend, when his shift would start on a Thursday at 8.30 am and go right through till Monday night at about 7.30 pm. It was truly punishing; and the children and I could not go out, because I had to woman the phone.

In some ways I think junior doctors are slightly better off because the conditions of their contracts are more humane than they were back then. OH always said that, punishing though it was, it was the only way you could learn all the skills you needed; and I guess with so many medical advances the junior doctors have even more to learn.

I was a junior doctor back in the early 80's. My house job was a 4 in 9 rota which meant I worked a usual week of 9- 5 plus four nights in nine. I used to work 80 hour weekends from 9 am Friday to 5 pm Monday. We used to get intermittent sleep at night but were frequently in and out of bed for admissions and ill patients. I was in hospital for an average of 108 hours a week. My first monthly pay was £499 and I thought I was so rich! I remember at times my bleep going off in the night and just sitting in bed crying!! Would I have swopped my working life? No, never! I mainly loved it and it was a great privilege.

I did not think that either of these charming and dedicated paediatricians was "piling it on" - if anything I think they were underplaying it, having been married to a junior doctor I remember it all well.

I thought the young man was a prime example of what Islam is supposed to be all about - what a shame that some younger men do not have someone like him as a role model and they fall prey to extremists.

Don't worry, I have no doubt that the poor old NHS is struggling! I'm just wary of this company and its policy. No money in making programmes about happy successful situations.

Fair point, Jane10. I realise that you can't accept that one programme is going to be totally unbiased, or reflect everyone's views. It will have a particular agenda. However, many sources tell us that the NHS is overstretched (hence over worked and over tired staff), and underfunded in many areas. Not easy to solve, I know.

Don't forget that this programme, like others of its kind, is heavily edited. They will have found the ones having the hardest time and encouraged them to pile it on.
I entirely agree that young doctors have a hard life but as older doctors will tell you -they always did.
I am speaking from experience of this film company btw

Yes, I agree. It was a very touching programme. I really felt for those young doctors - overstretched and over tired. The government should hang its collective head in shame. If anything bad were to happen, though, whose fault would it be?

Really liked that young paediatrician -he will be a brilliant consultant one day I am sure. But heart-rending stuff ????

I watched this tonight. I found the doctors observations on the difficulties and anxieties about doing their jobs properly were very honest.
Perhaps we ought to be pleased they are at times anxious about their jobs and what they feel to be their lack of experience. To be complacement about their abilities would be far more worrying.

True [MawBroon] but I have such admiration and sympathy for those Junior doctors.