‘Cinderella’

specialty is an odd way to describe any field of medicine, not least mental health. after all, the girl and her prince lived happily ever after, so what’s the problem? The issue for mental health is not just lack of money — throwing more about is a waste of time if there’s no one to deliver the services. in particular there’s a chronic shortage of psychiatrists, with the highest number of unfilled posts of any speciality. This affects us all, because mental illness is incredibly common and at some point, many will need mental health services. So why don’t more doctors choose psychiatry? When i told one of my professors at medical school that was my choice, he replied: ‘But you’ve done really well, you don’t have to do that,’ as though this was a last resort. This reflects the stigma in society mental illness attracts. But mental health is a fascinating, enjoyable and rewarding career — don’t dismiss it!