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- Page navigation anchor for We need more transparent guidance from the Colleges and CMPA on how physicians would be suspended due to their mental healthWe need more transparent guidance from the Colleges and CMPA on how physicians would be suspended due to their mental health
I agree that staff physicians and trainees alike need more supports when dealing with mental health issues.<1> It has been suggested that physicians shredding tears at work is only a sign of humanity rather than weakness.<2> However, we must also understand why some physicians want to bottle up rather than seek help. Through talking to my peers, I believe one main reason is fear of jeopardizing their career, such as facing suspension from the Colleges of Physicians.<3><4>
As per the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA), you are obligated to report to the authority of any physicians whom you suspect to be unfit to practice due to their mental health.<5> Staff physicians or trainees can certainly share their emotional struggles with their peers and leaders at work, such as being bullied and feeling burnout,<6><7><8>; nevertheless, they could subsequently be reported to the Colleges of Physicians, who may question their resilience and fitness to practice. These physicians may not even be a danger to themselves or any patients. However, they may now be in a guilty-until-proven-innocent situation and must demonstrate their mental health not impacting their practice.
Ironically, while physicians nowadays are helping patients to tackle stigma on mental health, we as a profession hold strong prejudice towards colleagues with mental illness. Imagine if patients, who pose no danger to anyone, tell their family p...
Show MoreCompeting Interests: I have been paid for working as a resident physician, but not for writing this letter. Opinions expressed are my own and not the views of my employer. - Page navigation anchor for RE: Physician mental health- a medical student perspectiveRE: Physician mental health- a medical student perspective
We thank Dr Kalaichandran and Dr Lakoff for their letter on physician mental health (1). As final year medical students at Imperial College London, we read of the challenges faced by a career in this demanding profession with great interest. We believe that there are some practices that could be implemented in medical schools to ameliorate the factors that drive the depression, burnout and anxiety seen in doctors.
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Medical students are expected to learn the realities of working life from our placements. In reality, the majority of the day is spent shadowing doctors and attending scheduled teaching and thus the challenges mentioned in the article are factors which are not understood by students until they begin working. Opening a dialogue about the realities of working in clinical practice will minimise the steep step when beginning work. Discussions could also include ways to manage the stress, including who to turn to when you need help, reassurance on reporting concerns and how to deal with bullying in the workplace. These sessions would aid doctors not only as they transition from students to physicians but for the rest of their careers. Furthermore, at medical school we are allocated personal tutors who we can contact if we have any problems. This system has shown to be particularly effective in students suffering from mental health problems (2) and a similar “buddy system” in the workplace could be an effective way to target the isolation felt by physicians.Competing Interests: None declared.