Crisis in medical 'manpower'

Madam, - A "senior medical source" quoted by Dr Muiris Houston ascribes the shortfall in GP services to the fact that "we have…

Madam, - A "senior medical source" quoted by Dr Muiris Houston ascribes the shortfall in GP services to the fact that "we have got the balance wrong gender-wise" - in admitting more females than males to medical schools ("Medical crisis grows as female GPs avoid full-time posts", The Irish Times, July 7th).

"We" got nothing wrong. More girls than boys have wanted to study medicine and more girls have won medical school places in recent years. The imbalance has simply evolved from continued application of these criteria as women have grown in confidence and ambition.

As a society we need to move on and put modern childcare and job-sharing structures in place to allow these doctors (and indeed all working women) to continue to practise, instead of trying to turn back the clock with some form of positive discrimination in favour of boys.

Not so long ago, when women were under-represented in the professions, the failing was said to be in the women, not the system. Now that the ratio has reversed, the system is seen as the problem, not the men! - Yours, etc,

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Dr ROISIN

NI MHUIRCHEARTAIGH,

Oxford, England.

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Madam, - After centuries of male domination of the profession, a few years of being outnumbered by women causes serious concerns among senior doctors. The prescription? Positive discrimination towards men, to be taken until the natural order is restored. - Yours, etc,

Dr JOAN MAGUIRE,

Rathgar Avenue,

Dublin 6.