Petition Subsidised tuition fees for medical and dental graduates pursuing a career in maxillofacial surgery

Doctors and dentists wishing to pursue a career in Oral & Maxillofacial surgery must undertake both Medicine and Dentistry degrees. This may require up to 10 years of study depending on course structure.

Students are currently expected to pay for second degrees without a student finance tuition fee loan.

Students may therefore accrue debt in excess of £100,000. Career earnings for a successful graduand start at the lowest rung of the NHS payscale ladder upon commencing employment and will take a further 10 years to reach consultant level pay. This debt therefore, may not be fully paid off within 25 years, to the detriment of many other financial considerations, for example mortgages.

I propose a government subsidy on the second degree to reduce this burden, and encourage students into this small surgical specialty.