Sir, - Many parents take pride in their children and would like to see them enter a profession. However, those with children who have passed fifth class in national school would be well advised to steer them clear of the medical profession.
Due to the Irish Government's refusal to allow doctors to benefit immediately from EU working time legislation, some of today's fifth class students will be the first doctors to have humane working hours, on a par with other European citizens.
The current generation of doctors and those following in their footsteps will have to wait until 2012 for safe working hours. Meanwhile, Irish doctors, and the patients they treat, will continue to be exposed to dangerous health and safety practices. - Yours, etc., Dr Liam Moran,
Newcastle, Co Galway.