Media Contact
Pete Thomson
Chief Communications Officer
American Medical Student Association
Email:[email protected]
Phone: 703-665-4786
AMSA Statement on Physician and Medical Student Suicide
Sterling, Va., May 3, 2018 – The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and fellow students of the NYU Langone medical student who took her life this week. The rising rates of suicide among medical students and physicians demand urgent attention before another life is lost. The mental health of physicians and physicians-in-training is more critical now than ever. How can future doctors care for their patients when they themselves are struggling under the weight of overwhelming emotional and physical stress?
Depression and stress often go unnoticed and untreated. Medical students are twice as likely to experience depression and three times more likely to die by suicide compared to their peers in the same age group. They face emotionally traumatic experiences daily, compounded by the relentless pressure to succeed—from high school through retirement. Seeking help is too often perceived as a sign of weakness or selfishness, creating a double standard where physicians-in-training prioritize their patients’ well-being over their own. This stigma must end.
May is Mental Health Month, a time to share personal struggles without judgment or shame. De-stigmatizing mental illness in medical schools, hospitals, and society must become a priority. Asking for help should never be seen as a weakness, and physician burnout should not be hidden. By openly discussing these challenges, we can make stress more manageable and affirm the shared experiences of those in medicine.
AMSA is committed to addressing these issues. Through storytelling events, The New Physician magazine, and the Wellness & Student Life Action Committee, we have created spaces for students to share their experiences. At our national convention, we welcomed Dr. Pamela Wible, who spoke about her documentary, “Do No Harm”, which highlights the crisis of physician suicide. AMSA has also partnered with BetterHelp to offer members four weeks of free online professional counseling.
We cannot let another medical student’s death be in vain. This must serve as a catalyst for change in a system that too often places blame on physicians instead of supporting them. We need a health care system that heals doctors as much as it heals patients. Only then can physicians lead fulfilling careers while providing high-quality care.
AMSA stands with students, families, and patients who have lost loved ones to suicide. This is not something we take lightly, and we will continue fighting for a more just and compassionate system for future generations of physicians.
###
About the American Medical Student Association:
AMSA is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Founded in 1950, AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. To learn more about AMSA, our strategic priorities, or joining the organization, please visit us at amsa.org.