Sir, - I refer to Chris Dooley's article about the typical Irish junior doctor (August 17th). As well as containing inaccurate statements about how much they earn, the image portrayed is that of a beer swilling caucasian male, partying his liver away on Leeson Street. Mr Dooley seems to have overlooked the statistic he supplies himself, that 55 per cent of Irish junior doctors are female. Surely that makes the typical Irish junior doctor female, and from my own experience, an entirely different creature. - Yours, etc.,
Dr NIAMH LYNCH, Paediatric Specialist Registrar, Model Farm Road, Cork
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Sir, - People attending outpatient clinics often lament the fact that junior hospital doctors change over every six months. In an exclusively shift-based system, doctors may change over every six hours. The possibility of a consistent, personal relationship with your hospital doctor, even for five consecutive inpatient days, will be remote.
Continuity of care will decline. Doctor training will suffer. Is this in anyone's interest? - Yours, etc.,
Dr BRENDAN KELLY, Broadstone, Dublin 7