Registrars cannot provide full teaching for juniors

To the Editor: I was recently amazed to learn that the solution to the educational needs of prevocational doctors was more teaching from registrars.1 My understanding was that registrars were themselves in a predominantly learning position, desperately hoping to glean some scraps of wisdom from consultant doctors. Often, the registrar, this supposed demi-god of all knowledge, is only 1 or 2 years ahead of the prevocational doctor and permanently juggling yet another postgraduate examination and the rigours of clinical duties. Then, with Australian medical schools springing up here and there, there are the inevitable hordes of medical students. So, registrars have an inherent and significant conflict of interest, namely, self-education to be able to continue climbing the slippery slope of postgraduate vocational education versus the altruistic provision of education for others.