€100k debts force junior doctors abroad
The study of medical students at University College Cork found that more than one in four who entered directly from school had loans to fund their course or living expenses. The average debt they expect to face after graduating was almost €17,300, but amounts ranged from €2,000 to €100,000.
Almost two-thirds of students on graduate-entry medicine courses had loans, but the average amount outstanding when they qualify was expected to be over €79,500. These students must pay fees of over €14,000 a year, but are ineligible for student grants or other State financial aid, and their loans were between €30,000 and €100,000.
