Madam, - Kevin Myers assumes (An Irishman's Diary, May 21st and July 28th) that because 23 per cent of female GPs did not respond to a survey, they must have abandoned general practice. An alternative and equally plausible interpretation is that they were so busy working that they did not have time to complete the survey.
He states that 12 per cent of female GPs (16 out of 134 respondants) who had left general practice "had abandoned medicine almost upon graduating".
In fact the paper in question states that "the majority of these were still working in a medical field", suggesting that they have trained in another specialty.
Neither of these statistics tells us anything about female GPs unless they are compared with male GP rates. Likewise, their comments on part-time work are meaningless unless we know the work/life balance requirements of male GPs.
I teach evidence-based medicine and have a weekly slot called "Health Story of the Week". The purpose is to demonstrate how the media misinterpret published evidence. I now have a nice new teaching example - not that I need one. - Yours, etc.,
UNA FALLON, Bristol, England.