The British Medical Association (BMA) has successfully called for a change in the job title of junior doctors working across the National Health Service (NHS). The term “junior” has been deemed “infantilizing and demeaning” by the doctors’ union, who has proposed that the job title be changed to “resident doctor” instead. Over 50,000 qualified doctors currently work in hospitals and GP practices across the UK. This includes new medical school graduates as well as doctors with up to a decade of experience.
Health ministers have agreed to the proposed name change as part of efforts to improve the working relationship between the NHS and the government. This recent decision comes after a successful conclusion to an 18-month dispute where resident doctors accepted the government’s offer of a 22% salary increase over two years.
Dr Lily Huang, a BMA member specializing in ear, nose, and throat surgery at an NHS hospital in London, believes that the reversal of the term “junior doctor” to “resident doctor” is more reflective of the expertise UK doctors possess. Huang graduated from medical school seven years ago and has already undergone extensive training. The new title would also help to prevent confusion among patients who might mistake the term “junior” to mean lesser skilled or unqualified medical personnel.
The BMA’s committee has evaluated multiple options for the new name before settling on “resident” as the most suitable. While no value judgement is attached to the newly proposed job title, it is felt to be more in line with well-understood medical terminology. This type of job title is already used in hospitals worldwide, including in the US, Philippines, Brazil, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, and Australia.
Resident doctors are qualified doctors who continue their clinical training after graduating from medical school. They typically complete a two-year foundation program before specializing in a specific area of medicine or undergoing general-practice training to become a GP. The full training period can last longer, and it is not uncommon for resident doctors in the UK to possess over a decade of practical experience. They are responsible for many vital aspects of medical care and increasingly work with patients independently
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