New medical students could face debts of £37,000 by the time they graduate, according to the BMA. 

The introduction of variable top-up fees could nearly double the debt for new students by the time they graduate from the present amount of £20,000. If the government decides to lift the cap on tuition fees in 2010, the average medical graduate debt could "catastrophically" triple to as much as £57,000, says the BMA. In London, where the cost of living is higher, average debts could hit £67,000.

"We think it is best for patients and the NHS if doctors represent the society they serve," says Ian Noble, the chairman of the BMA's student committee. "But it's very likely that many able sixth form students, who want to become doctors, will be put off by the idea of such large debts when they graduate. £40,000 or even £60,000 of debt is a huge amount to ask someone that young to take on, particularly because medicine is a less certain career than it used to be."

It could hurt the government's efforts to entice medical students coming from the lower socio-economic backgrounds, warns the BMA.

www.bma.org.uk

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