its not an absolute rule, just with surgery for example, you spend a lot longer in training and on a lower salary. then as a consultant it takes years and years (and awards) to get to the higher salaries. also work more hours for the same pay, takes you away from a typical middle class lifestyle.

as a gp, it's the shortest training, more flexible and they earn a similar basic pay as a hospital doctor , also its a given that they get involved with the business side of the practice too which is where they make a load. with GP contracts the way they are now too its really lucrative, only going to get better for them too with the reforms. the average salaries seem similar but as a gp it's a lot easier to live typically middle class.

As of 2010 http://www.bma.org.uk/press_centre/pressgps.jsp

"There are 41,349 GPs working in the UK.
UK-wide 34,081 are GP partners, sometimes known as 'principals' or 'contractors'."

"GP principal/partner: GP partners run the practice. Sometimes there is only one GP partner (known as a single-hander), but more often than not, a number of GPs group together in a multi partnership practice. Many single-handers also work closely with neighbouring colleagues. As well as seeing patients the GP partner is responsible for running the business side of the practice."

There's all sorts of ways that being wise with the business/ NHS contract/ commissioning side of things increases income a lot. Maybe i exaggerated but being a GP is definitely as middle class as being a consultant.

GP's round my ends drive merc's and astons. Definitely upper middle

Yes, partners are involved in the business side of things. Nowhere near as much as the practice manager, though. They are, in my experience, what makes a practice more profitable. Some practices make practice managers partners so they have vested interest in making the practice as profitable as possible. This can make for a very unhappy workplace, though.

I think generally speaking, this^^ is more accurate for the way the majority of GP's run their practices. These quarter mil GP's don't really exist. Well, they do, but they are incredibly small in number compared to the number of GP's earning £100,000 - £150,000. To earn a quarter mil, you have to be essentially a business man who is a qualified doctor. They run huge practices with many salaried doctors where they are the soul partner.

So exactlythat, when you finish medical school and find you hate patients but love admin, it could be perfect, but that's not really what you signed up for is it?

you and phikz are suspect

i begrudge my place in upper middle!

Whoosh.

stick san in lower middle

I haven't even gone into what class I would be based on my family's heritage back home

I think I equal out at middle class but with working class roots due to income levels, land, property, etc etc but still being classed as immigrant/working status due to my elder's when they came over

My kids would be middle class baddaman's though imo

i used to get free meals at school, even though my dad works for himself and earns above the national average. He's very crooked