Marriage and Medical Training

Abstract

The late Professor Ian Aird held that ‘it is an advantage (for the young surgeon) if he can remain single until the later years of his training'. Sir Henry Wade once stated that ‘a young surgeon must keep his affections in cold storage’. This is remarkably like the attitude of St. Paul so long ago.

“I say therefore to the unmarried and widows it is a good thing for them if they abide even as I . . . .

. . . . but if they cannot contain, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn.” (1 Corinthians 7, 8 & 9).

In spite of the viewpoint of these eminent men, the proportion of doctors who marry young is increasing, as is the number of medical students who are married before the end of their course.

Is this crass stupidity on the part of students and young doctors? Is it a transient phenomenon of no importance? Or is it an understandable trend which does not carry disastrous consequences?

Without a detailed analysis of the motivations and consequences of this trend, comment is necessarily based on personal observation. It is hoped that this nevertheless has validity.