Few people are lucky enough to have a very clear idea about what they wish to do in life – a vocation. For some it might be teaching, for others dancing or the arts.
For many of our students, their vocation is to be a doctor. It is not an easy path. It requires extremely hard work, years of training (and the debt which is likely to follow that) and a combination of excellent scientific skills and the kind of nature which will lead to a good ‘bedside manner.
It is clearly not for everyone. However, as a result of the Department of Health restricting the number of training places for doctors, a number of excellent candidates for medicine – who combine that vocation with the necessary academic abilities – are struggling to get those coveted degree places.
Each year nationally, many top sixth form students do not gain places at medical school, despite having a string of high grades and relevant work experience. These are often the students at the very top of the cohort. Many take a gap year and then get in after reapplying once they have their grades.
It always seems to me to be an anomaly that we have a shortage of UK trained doctors in this country and yet schools which are providing the raw material are finding that some of their applicants are dismissed.
In today’s educational landscape where we are moving towards unrestricted numbers for university places for the highest-achieving students, it seems ludicrous that we still have the Department of Health imposing such strict controls on the numbers of doctors we can train.
This is something that needs to be addressed both for the talented, young, would-be doctors and for the future of the National Health Service.
Last week, universities minister David Willetts dismissed the issue. His answer was that these academically-gifted girls should be encouraged to seek careers in engineering instead.
I agree that we need more girls in engineering and STEM subjects and in girls’ schools there is a far higher uptake in these subjects amongst girls than nationally.
At Headington, for example, Maths is our most popular Sixth Form subject, while a team of girls from Headington recently won the National Student Robotics Competition – one of just two all-girls’ teams taking part in the contest.
However, there is a big difference between being a doctor and being an engineer. If you have a vocation to work in medicine and you have been doing lots of relevant work experience in care homes or with disabled children, transferring your efforts towards an entirely different career requires a major shift in direction.
Recent change in educational policy, with the inevitable loss of breadth in sixth form courses as the AS Level is decoupled, and therefore devalued, is likely to emphasise this situation even more.
A 15-year-old student who is choosing A-levels and is considering Medicine may pick Chemistry, Biology and Maths, with Physics as her fourth subject. Currently she has the option of having a change of heart at the end of Year 12 and deciding to be an engineer instead of a medic. Without choosing Physics at that earlier age under the existing AS Level system, that option will no longer be available.
Would-be doctors at Headington are offered a two-year specialised medic programme to ensure those girls who have the vocation and the ability are supported in their applications.
About 15 per cent of our girls do go on to study medicine – whether straight out of Sixth Form or a year later. They go on to become excellent doctors.
So my message to the Department of Health is to provide more training places to turn these girls’ vocations into lifetime careers and give them the chance to make a difference in the career they have chosen.
sumber: telegraph.co.uk
