Letter: Doctors hit back

Sir: Teachers are indeed undervalued by society and this is reflected in the poor remuneration they receive. However, ambitious young science students risk disappointment if they select medicine as a career on the basis of the facts cited by Stephen Usherwood (letter, 14 December).

The salary of pounds 112,000 reflects an "A+" merit award, held by less than 1 per cent of hospital consultants; the standard contracted week is 44 hours, in addition to which there are on-call commitments, without further pay, even if these involve operating at night in addition to day-time duties. Most consultants work closer to 60 than 35 hours, more are leaving prematurely than ever before and doctors, as a group, have one of the highest suicide rates.

Medicine is a relatively well paid profession and most of us still find it rewarding, but it is not as your correspondent portrays it. I fully support initiatives to make teachers more highly valued and to attract the best into the profession, but is it necessary to belittle another profession to do so?

Dr ANNA CASSONI

London SW18