British doctors are not disappearing

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Abstract
Rumours abound that recent graduates are leaving medicine. Last autumn, for example, BMA News Review declared, “Atrocious conditions force new doctors out of medicine” after an interview with the chairman of the General Medical Council's education committee. Yet we can find no evidence for statements that up to a quarter of doctors are leaving medicine within a few years of graduation. The loss is much smaller, and much is not permanent. Three separate questions have become confused: How many medical students do not complete the course? How many doctors leave medicine and at what stage? How many doctors leave the UK and therefore the NHS? Analysis of figures derived from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, the GMC,1 and other sources indicate to some observers that about 7% of medical students do not complete the course2 and to others that “at least 12%” do not. 3 About half of these students fail their exams and about half change their minds; a few fail because they changed their minds. Seven per cent is low for any professional or university course and would be hard to improve on, but clearly we need to know …