The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is concerned with any aspect of illness and curing it, and is a splendid club. It’s not frequented only by doctors – established in 1805 as the age of modern medicine found its feet, the RSM has long been a beacon of postgraduate medical education and a meeting place for those who are fascinated by all things medical. It is a vital institution for people who work for medical charities, plenty of youngsters who are into medical things and even a few representing patients like me.
One valuable function of the RSM is not only providing education but also paying for it. There are more than 70 prizes available for medical trainees, worth a total of approximately £60,000. In fact, the Young Trainee of the Year Award is up for grabs just next month.
At a recent lecture that I attended at the RSM’s remarkable Edwardian headquarters on Wimpole Street, in the heart of London’s medical district, the society’s support for young people naturally brought up the fate of junior doctors and the debate around their contracts – which has been a rumbling, chronic complaint for England for a long time now.
When you consider the other professions that these sharp young minds could turn to – such as dentistry or being a vet, jobs where you don’t have to get in a tangle about issues such as what constitutes unsociable hours – you do rather fear for the future of the health service.
The RSM and its lectures have certainly made me consider many more fascinating thoughts. But it’s also made me think rather wistfully about the phrase: “Trust me, I’m a doctor.”
What do you think? Have your say below
