The Cost of Being a Medical Student

In the face of what many are calling the mostchallenging economic climate in decades, therepercussions of soaring inflation rates arereverberating throughout the nation. Manypublic sector workers have taken to thestreets in protest, with the well-documentedjunior doctor strikes serving as a poignantexample. However, amidst the headlines, thefinancial struggles of a vital group have gonerelatively unnoticed: medical students.A recent financial survey conducted by theBritish Medical Association (BMA) has shedlight on the alarming impact on medicalstudents nationwide. The majority of over athousand respondents reported having tomake sacrifices in basic necessities such asfood and heating, while over 40% disclosedrunning out of funds before the end of theterm. Furthermore, more than half of therespondents revealed having to juggle parttime work to finance their studies, but asignificant majority felt this compromiseadversely affected their academicperformance.These findings are not in isolation. A recentpoll commissioned by The Office forStudents (OfS) found similar rates offinancial hardship amongst students inhigher education. In addition to this, almost20% of students had considered droppingout of their course due to financialdifficulties. In 2022, an article published inThe British Medical Journal (thebmj)assessed the current plight of final yearstudents balancing jobs on top of clinicalplacements as well as the staggering amountof debt students encounter upon graduating. In a time when the NHS is facingunprecedented challenges with recruitmentand retention, it seems the lack of financialsupport for medical students may furthercompound these issues.This year, the SURGO team are committed tounderstanding the true extent of the costof-living crisis medical students face duringthe 2023/24 academic term. We are reachingout to the medical student community inGlasgow with a short, anonymous surveydesigned to capture your experiences. Thedata gathered will be carefully analysed andcompiled into a comprehensive report,which will be featured in our next edition.Our goal with this survey is to unravel thefinancial challenges entwined with pursuinga medical degree in 2023/24 and advocate forenhanced support from the medical schoolto alleviate these burdens during youruniversity journey. Join us to spotlight therealities faced by medical students. Scan theQR code or check the link on our Instagrampage to share your insights