Medical graduates face debt gap - graduate jobs

A debt gap has developed between medical graduates, placing a greater urgency on those from poorer backgrounds to kick-start their graduate careers, research has revealed.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said students from low income backgrounds are over £13,000 more in debt when they graduate than those from better-off households.

And there were fewer medical school students from the lowest income groups last year than in the previous 12 months, according to the BMA's Medical Student Finance Survey 2010/11.

It said the average medical student graduates with a debt of £24,092 (up from £23,909 in 2009/10). Those from lower income brackets graduate with a projected debt of £37,588 (up from £26,324)

BMA spoeswoman Elly Pilavachi said many undergraduates were heavily dependent on financial support from their families during their five or six-year medical course.

She described the £13,000 debt gap as "staggering" and added: "It is hardly surprising that there has been a noticeable and worrying drop in the number of students coming from less well-off backgrounds."