Sir, in response to the letter suggesting that student debt deters people from entering postgraduate education (BDJ 2004, 196: 661) I would suggest that the author may not be sufficiently keen on specialising. Yes, debt may well be a deterrent but it is a case of making sacrifices in other areas to pursue your career goals. It is perfectly feasible to exist on an SHO wage and pay off debts accrued as a student. You just need to stick to a budget. You may not be able to purchase everything you want or live the lifestyle you wish whilst studying but this has been the situation for years.

At times it can be frustrating when your GDP peers have nicer houses and cars etc. Rather than blaming the BDA for a lack of action I would suggest that students are educated about debt and given more advice about how to manage their finances. Making them listen may be more difficult. I qualified in 1997 with £15,000 of debt (I didn't listen to any advice). I am about to finish a 3 year postgraduate training programme with even more (new) debt. Has it been worth it? Absolutely. I wouldn't change a moment of it.