Equal time I believe - 5 years. Although 5 years means you can graduate Med school but you're still only a junior then. 5 years to get CMIOSH technically puts you at the top of the heap not the bottom. But to be honest it's an insulting statement as it is much much harder to go through med school than do other types of degree and then get experience. If the point you were trying to make is that it's too difficult to get CMIOSH status then you won't get my support. What we do is try to save lives, it's a role that comes with responsibility, and that takes expereince and that is what takes the time. I think 2 years to get CMIOSH status is way to quick personally. I'm CMIOSH but there is no way I could do Med school, too much I would need to know by rote. Respect to those who can (including to one of my kids who is about to attempt it).

Anything worth having is worth waiting (and working) for. CMIOSH status is an indication of professionalism, and a professional career is worth 5 years of anybody's time. Hopefully when the new voluntary registration scheme eventually becomes compulsory it will sort the types who are not scared of hard work and continuous study from those who want a quick and easy route to a good salary.

..Bigrab....some people l are not scared of hard work and continuous study....some people dont want an easy route to a good salary....some people like to have a good work /home life balance..and are quite happy with a moderate salary and a good social life spending time with their familiy and friends rather than have their head stuck in a book all weekend...maybe they already have their "Holy Grail"

At a time when we are under scrutiny for the failings of rogue consultants and accusations of being over-zealous, the last thing we need is people trying to say that it's too hard to achieve Chartered status. IMO it was a poor comparison to make. You can moan and be cynical all you like but if you do then you have to be prepared for the backlash - which is what you got. By the way to those who seem to think that anyone with CMIOSH must be a book worm with no family life no social life and heaps of money at their disposal, well that just isn't the case. I did my degree as a single mum with no money to my name at all. Yet I have been dedicated to my kids and I am very close to them and still spend a lot of time with them, even though they are at Uni now. I also have an active social life being a keen outdoor sports person. We all make choices. Lets not pass judgement on how others have got where they are today. There is a very negative stance towards CMIOSH on this fourm and it is gaining momentum. I don't begrudge those that have higher qulifications and more experience than me and neither should anyone else IMO.

Beat you...I am home :-) ....but supposed to be working :-(

T The missing T from the end of that sentence - speaking of tea....

pl53, I most certainly do consider my profession to be comparable to most of the other professions and will challenge anyone who seriously suggests otherwise. The debate over competency has been done to death very many times on here and I have no intention of entering it again, but I consider that my route to competency and afforts to maintain competency compare very favourably with any other profession. I know a lot, I know my limitations and I know where to get assistance beyond my skillset; I keep learning; I continue to gain new experiences and hopefully learn from them. I am a member of a well-respected Institution at a level commensurate with my competence level and proud of my achievements. To have detrators within our profession is very disheartening and I resent your implication that it is merely a job. I do what I do because I want to do it, I enjoy it (mostly) and get great satisfaction when it all goes well. If it goes wrong I figure out why and attempt to put it right. My clients tell me that I do a good job and keep paying me. That is professionalism. Rant over for now but I may find some more to say later.

The original poster may just have been trying to make the point that it is a tough route to CMIOSH but to compare it with registered GP is well wide of the mark: First get at least 3A* in science A levels( how many of us have that), get interview at Medical school, five years on an intensive course, two years junior hospital skivvy, four years senior hospital house person, then you have to find a practice that will take you on. Our profession can be very worthwhile and may even help in saving lives but it is not comparable with Medicine

Simon says "There are those also not scared of hard work and continuous study but struggle to balance time and money to achieve their aspirations - just a thought!" OK Simon but I didn't get where I am without hard work, lots of study (part time evenings) hardship (self-financed) and time. I have a work life balance alright, I work and then when I get home I work some more. My wife and I are foster carers and we do not have spare time. Some sacrifices are worth making, children are precious and every moment invested in their well being is time well spent. All hardships are relative, if the original poster thinks 5 years of his time is too much to sacrifice then perhaps he should do smething else?