Always the same discussion...
Know it very well,because my wife is a GP (not in the UK)!
1.)It only takes 18months to become an airline pilot and six years for your medical degree-> well,a day at uni, were you are for a few hours a day, isnt comparable to pilot school,half of a students year is leisuretime.I dont know about you,but since i have started, there was no holiday or sundays and NO 2hours listening only a day......i dont know many pilots finishing their ATPL in 18 months.Most of the quick guys i know were 24months in school...
2.) Technically you can fail 50 exams( of course not always the same one,the same subject has to be finished after 4 attempst,and even then under sp.circumstances another attempt will be granted-> A lough for a pilot, do one bad sim and then onother and you know where you will be...
3.) As a med student you can finish when you want 5,6,7 or more years try again,fail try again, there is no time pressure
4)pilots dont need such high qualifications....look at the majors or ab initios programs...pilots are evalueted the whole life,every company change means a new asessment (maths,geography,general knowledge,apt.testing),even if you apply as a supervisor GP you just have a small interview and you dont have to know what sin of 45deg is!
5) responsibilities> as a doctor there is always enough time,even in the biggest emergency to think 5 seconds without any actions-> not in our profession(V1 cut was already mentioned)
.or you can shift responsibility-> call surgeon,cardiac specialist,or get second opinion what to do
6) skills->A GP needs at least just a good knowledge (please dont understand this as an assault!) but a pilot needs to have a good combination of many skills-> hand eye cord.,workload management etc.
Just as said i really honor all GPs out there,but many people out there dont have an understanding what pilots do in front there
Last but not least..The situation for GPs is (currently) good in the UK,but look at central europe,my wife has on average a 70hours week, our fiirst officers in my company fly 70 hours a month and get more then she does,even the guys next to me are 10 years younger!
