Barriers in the quest for quality drug information: salutary lessons from TGA‐approved sources for thyroid‐related medications

However, this balance is under threat in the United Kingdom and the United States, where the cost and duration of medical education are increasingly forming a barrier for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. In the US, 60 per cent of medical students come from families in the top income bracket; becoming an MD is apparently beyond the reach of most middle and working class families. And no wonder! A US medical education costs about US$120 000 in public medical schools and US$225 000 in private schools. With Australia’s recent move towards full-fee-paying medical students, we may well wonder whether we are set to mimic the American way.