Doctors' dilemma
From Dr Jeremy Stocker Sir: Universities are not the only public institutions to suffer the distorting effects of 'research' and the need to publish (Rachel Johnson, 'Publish or be damned', 14 June). Hospital doctors, too, are under constant pressure to add published articles and papers to their CVs.
In the absence of structured appraisal and appointing systems in the NHS, a doctor's career progression is heavily influenced by the quality of his or her CV. An impressive list of publications (irrespective of the medical and intellectual worth of their contents) counts for a great deal, often more than surgical skill (or, indeed, the ability to teach others).
In some specialities, appointment as a consultant is almost impossible without possession of a research degree, for no better reason than that it makes sorting through CVs easier and 'shows willing'. There is, of course, no substantive reason why every general surgeon in every district hospital needs to be research-qualified.
At a time when the government is seeking to increase consultant numbers, these locally imposed and spurious requirements simply add years to already long training times.
Jeremy Stocker Durham
Previous page
