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Carmel Sparke IT has been marketed as an ‘ earn
while you learn ’ plan dreamt up by a government desperate to fix its medical workforce crisis .
The idea being mooted for the UK ’ s NHS ? Do not just use medical schools to train future doctors . Why not recruit school leavers and put them on a five-year apprenticeship ?
One UK doctor has already said it should be listed in the “ pantheon of stupid ideas ”, saying the country was flirting with Third World medicine .
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Dr Latifa Patel said the organisation had not been consulted over or agreed to the apprenticeship model . “ We ’ re in the dark ,” she tweeted . “ We remain concerned that , without appropriate funding in resources , trainers , admin , accommodation , clinical placements , this model won ’ t work .”
In a British Medical Association statement , Dr Patel also said “ many questions ” remained about the scheme and how it would work .
“ It remains to be seen whether
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future apprentices , medical schools and employing organisations can navigate the complexity of implementing medical degree programs to meet individual apprenticeship needs while adhering to the exact same high standards of training experienced by traditional medical students ,” Dr Patel said .
Other doctors have questioned how already stretched doctors could supervise medical apprentices and what impact it would have on other doctors ’ training .
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Dr Latifa Patel . |
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But those behind the plan say |
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that successful applicants will still |
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graduate with the same degree as |
students in “ traditional ” university-based medical training programs — but will be paid while they learn on the job . |
Ita Buttrose , AC OBE |
PAXLOVID is now available to more Australians 1 |
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The concept , which was first |
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raised last year , is expected to form |
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a key part of the government ’ s NHS |
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workforce plan . |
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It is being reported that one |
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in 10 of England ’ s doctors could |
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be trained through the model , |
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expected to be rolled out this year . |
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And NHS England chief executive |
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Amanda Pritchard is already |
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spruiking apprenticeship degrees |
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to school leavers . |
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“ This radical new approach |
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could see tens of thousands of |
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school leavers becoming doctors |
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and nurses or [ working in ] other |
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key healthcare roles after being |
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trained on the job over the next 25 |
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years ,” she says . |
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‘ A young kid pretending to be a doctor would be an utter menace .’ |
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