Episode 104: Silent Struggles – Mental Health and Medical Education

Content Warning: 

This content addresses mental health issues, including research and narratives on suicide. Please take care while engaging with it and only proceed if you feel safe doing so. If you, or someone you love, is having thoughts of suicide, please contact 988. Help is available.

Episode 104: Silent Struggles – Mental Health and Medical Education

Interviewer

Lisa Meeks

Interviewees

John Ruddell

Jennifer Ruddell

Roja (friend of Jack Ruddell)

Dr. David Muller 

Dr. Justin Bullock

Dr. Jessi Gold

Narrator

Dr. Joseph Murray 

Transcript

Keywords: Mental health, Medical training, Stress, Well-being, Competitive environments, Performance, Self-care, High-stakes exams, Residency match, Learners with disabilities, Jack Ruddell, Depression, Suicidality, Dr. Jessi Gold, Dr. Justin Bullock, Dr. David Muller, Imposter syndrome, Research, Publications, Fitness for duty, COVID pandemic, Identity, Physician identity, Self-harm, Vulnerability, Stigma, USMLE Step 1, Dr. Catherine Lapidus, Docs with Disabilities 

Description

In this deeply impactful third episode of our series on mental health and suicide in medical training, we delve into the unique pressures and challenges that medical students face including high stakes exams, aggressions in training, lack of safety, and fear of help seeking. This episode is a continuation of our exploration into how the demanding environment of medical education can contribute to mental health struggles, including depression and suicidality.

Description of Series 

DWDI Special Series: Suicidality in Medical Training dives into the critical conversations around mental health, well-being, support systems, and the intense pressures faced during medical training. Through the power of storytelling, the series intertwines these broader themes with the deeply personal story of Dr. Jack Ruddell, a promising medical student who tragically died by suicide. Jack’s journey—his strengths, struggles, and the complexities leading to his untimely death—forms the emotional core of this five-part series, giving voice to the loved ones often excluded from these conversations.

Alongside Jack’s story, the series incorporates expert insights and data from the literature, offering a human perspective on burnout, depression, and suicide among medical trainees. With a commitment to improving mental health awareness and reducing the stigma around seeking help, the series presents a novel approach by centering personal narratives alongside expert analysis. It also explores actionable strategies for improving medical training environments and highlights the importance of institutional responses after a loss by suicide.

Our mission is to reduce shame, encourage help-seeking among medical students struggling with depression, and ensure that every medical school is aware of the postvention resources offered by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

Experts for the Series 

• Christine Moutier, MD – Chief Medical Officer, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

• Jessi Gold, MD – Chief Wellness Officer, University of Tennessee System; Author of How Do You Feel?

• David Muller, MD – Director, Institute for Equity and Justice in Health Sciences Education; Dean Emeritus, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai; Author of the NEJM essay, Kathryn

• Srijan Sen, MD, PhD – Director, Eisenberg Family Depression Center; PI of the Intern Health Study

• Justin Bullock, MD, MPH – Fellow, University of Washington; Author of the NEJM article, Suicide, Rewriting My Story

• Stuart Slavin, MD, MEd – Vice President for Well-Being, ACGME