Med Students struggle too
By: Nate Ackerman
In MPHI’s first meeting of the semester, we discussed the stigma surrounding mental health, particularly in the premed, medical school, and post-graduate communities. Oftentimes, members of these communities suffer as a result of ideas surrounding what a doctor should be– mentally strong, clear-headed, and healthy. As symbols of healing, and with great responsibility, doctors cannot be weak– at least this is what some of us have been conditioned to believe.
The fact of the matter is that members of the medical community are actually one of the population’s most at-risk populations for mental health disorders. In fact, male and female physicians have 40% and 130% higher suicide rates than the general population, respectively. The stigmatization of poor mental health exacerbates the traumatic experiences doctors face on a daily basis.
In the meeting, we discussed possible explanations for why mental health stigma exists in the first place. Beyond the expectation of doctors being mentally strong, they may also feel afraid of spreading their negative thoughts to others. Furthermore, they may have false beliefs that they are the only ones suffering. Years of repressing troubling experiences and thoughts, burying them under mountains of academic work, can lead to significant burnout as well.
Members stressed the importance of coming to terms and accepting negative moods as they come, not trying to ignore them, as this can help us better understand our emotions and learn how to work through them rather than ignoring them. Oftentimes, premed students work themselves too hard, studying absurdly long hours, chasing a grade at the expense of their mental health. Learning to detach one’s self worth from grades and the need to be better than or as good as peers can help lead a happier life free from pressure to perform. Finally, we discussed how no one wants to have depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders, and will avoid treatment in fear of being formally diagnosed with these disorders. This perpetuates a cycle where avoiding treatment worsens mental health.
MPHI meetings and roundtable discussions will continue to be held biweekly throughout the semester, with the next meeting coming up on October 7th. We look forward to having more roundtable discussions like these where members can share their experiences, perspectives, and work to destigmatize mental health struggles among pre-health students at USC.
