A Graduate Entry Medicine student has opened up about the difficulties facing young doctors in Dublin.
The 23-year-old feels that he has no option but to leave the country once he finishes college.
Poor working conditions and expensive loans have crushed his dream of becoming a consultant in Ireland.
Read more: Graduate Entry Medicine students ‘panicking’ as ‘life-saving’ Bank of Ireland loan discontinued
This week, Graduate Entry Medicine students found out that an essential Bank of Ireland loan was being cut- a lifeline for many students wishing to pursue the career.
Financial support is often required for students to cover university fees for this course, which now stand at between €15,000 - €16,500 per year, depending on the university.
Bank of Ireland is currently the only financial institution in Ireland that offers a suitable loan linked directly to this course but it will no longer be available as of 31 July, 2022.
A lack of financial support, long working hours and poor condition facing young doctors in Dublin at the moment.
The UCD student told Dublin Live that he feels he has no choice but to leave the country.
He said: "I would love to stay here. I would love to complete all of my training and become a consultant here. I love Dublin . It's been my home for the last six years.
"The thought of having to leave is bittersweet. Ultimately all I ever want to do is help people and help the people of Dublin. It feels like I'm being pushed out the door.
"I think it's inevitable at this stage that I will have to leave. The NCHDs are balloting to go on strike because of the extremely poor working conditions with many doctors working 50-60 hours a week.
"They are not being paid for those hours on time. It's become such a huge systemic issue. We are being treated poorly and put into extreme debt while training to be a doctor.
"When you finally qualify, you're not treated well either. You're used until breaking point. Four in five doctors are at risk of burnout. There are a percentage of them that are considering to leave medicine because the of the stress.
"It is disappointing but it will reach a point where the vast majority of my year will consider leaving.
"The most obvious choice is Australia because we don't have to do an entrance exam. The cost of living and lifestyle is better."
The future doctor believes that Bank of Ireland pulling the Graduate Medicine Loan is just the latest in a long line of worries.
He said: "We just got a message in the group chat that said that Bank of Ireland were considering the removal of the loan. As it stands it is the only loan that is available to us.
"We can't work while we are in the degree because it is such an accelerated programme. Repaying a loan immediately is just not feasible for us.
"A lot of people have to take a couple of years out to pay for first year and then they would take a loan.
"The loan conditions are outrageous. You can take €50,000 and do that for four years. You pay it back over the next ten years. You end up paying back over €100,000 because of the high APR.
"It means that anybody that starts in September has no option at all to use this loan. Because of the poor line of communication, they might not even be aware that Bank of Ireland are pulling the loan."
"The first Graduate Entry Medicine students would only have paid off their loans now."
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