“I was admitted to the hospital for psychiatric evaluation and stabilization just after my third year of medical school. Leading up to my episode, I thought I was fine – stressed, sure, overworked, definitely, but I thought that was normal for someone just finishing a year of clinical rotations. I deteriorated rapidly, and by the time I was admitted, I felt dazed, disoriented, and completely exhausted. I didn’t know what day it was or where I was, but I knew one thing with crystalizing certainty – I wanted to be dead. It was an incredibly isolating experience, one that left me feeling alone and terribly frightened. But since then, I’ve come to realize the harsh reality: I am not alone.

Mattie Renn and Thomas Pak are medical students.

They share their stories and discuss their KevinMD article, “The mental health jeopardy of our youngest healers.”

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Hosted by Kevin Pho, MD, The Podcast by KevinMD shares the stories of the many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from.