Dr. Doctor: A Look at Life in Medicine

The life of a medical professional is not easy. The road to get there and the lifestyle when practicing is mentally draining and results in many physicians experiencing burnout. This project and paper explore the stigma surrounding mental health in medicine, examining how fear of professional repercussions prevents many physicians from getting help. Through research and interviews with medical professionals of various specialties, this project looks at the different mental health struggles that each specialty faces. Additionally due to increased social media, medicine continues to evolve at a fast rate. Looking forward, medical professionals will have to deal with increased distrust in physicians, making the job even harder. Although work has been done to remove the mental health stigma in medicine, there is still much to accomplish. By shedding light on these issues, this project advocates for a shift to normalize mental health discussions, hopefully resulting in more supportive environments for medical professionals. By bringing attention to different lifestyles in medicine, future generations can be better prepared for the work they must put in to get there.