Medical training can be depressive & stressful; see how they portray their mentors here!

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Dec 10, 2015 05:30 AM EST
Tags US

According to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a lot of young doctors—those who are still in their internship or residency stage - suffer from high risks of depression. Some of them experience depression symptoms while some of them experience full-blown depression.

If medical students think that their life is already too hectic and too stressful, they have to wait until they become an intern and then, a resident. There is no doubt that the student life in the medical school is quite a little too demanding, but nothing is more gruel than the years in internship and residency.

It is quite ironic to think that a doctor, someone who has been studying and practicing to cure patients most of their lives, is suffering from a condition that needs to be treated as well.

 Some people might think that it is not too important to pay attention to the depression they are going through since it is just a depression and they are doctors - who are thought to know every single way to cure everyone, including themselves. The truth is that it is very crucial when a doctor is battling against depression. Why? It is because he might provide poor medical care to the patient. This means that even his patients' health will be affected as well.

The Los Angeles Times reported that symptoms of depression are present among intern and resident doctors all over the world. Therefore, this case is not just isolated to the US itself or to a certain place. It is a worldwide problem.

What is worse is that the depression level of these young doctors is considered as "unacceptably high" and "extraordinary."

There were different studies conducted to cater this matter. There was a study that only focused in interns. On the other hand, there was a study that focused in both interns and residents. Both showed almost the same results.

According to NPR News, a lot of students who are still under medical training see their professors and mentors as foul-mouthed monsters. On the other hand, they see themselves as sleep-deprived individuals who are stuck in dank dungeons (medical workplace.)

The depression rate of doctors is almost similar to the depression rate of the general public. It has been reported that the depression rate of physicians is 20 percent in female and about 10 to 13 percent in males.

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