Sunday 26 July 2009

Oh Cynicism, Thou Art a Heartless Bitch....

Many a wise person has told me to never trust the media. And Politicians. And Hitachi. (It's because they never had luck with Hitachi hard drives....)

And more importantly statistics. Because statistics can be manipulated. And they always are.

Still, a rather 'lower' key news event this week (because swine flu has decided to scare everyone) has been about social mobility and how some of the top professions are still closed off to anyone but the rich, typically, including subjects like medicine and law.

BBC News have covered this and I had the telly on in the background as they were reporting it the other day. In summary, about 55%(ish) of medics are privately educated (independent schools) and this hasn't changed since the 1980s. In contrast, other professions such as in the law profession, that percentage has dropped, and in journalism has swung the other way.

Hmmm... not sure if I should take this with a large pinch of salt. Or is there no room for the state schooled, low income, ethnic minority who's taking a gap year to reapply for medicine then? I could save my money (if I ever start as a HCA), go for the no-fees uni system (if that ever gets implemented) and try my luck at SGUL, because I'd be able to pay most of my way throught. Surely that's appealing right? Right? (but the thought of being that close to home wants to make me shove a biro through my temple)

Might be worth my while having a look at something else I could do in Sep/Oct 2010.