{"id":895,"date":"2021-05-05T17:42:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-05T17:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/?p=895"},"modified":"2025-09-04T12:26:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T20:26:42","slug":"dealing-with-depression-in-medical-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/dealing-with-depression-in-medical-school","title":{"rendered":"Dealing With Depression in Medical School"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In This Article<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/dealing-with-depression-in-medical-school\/#My_first_years_in_medical_school\" >My first years in medical school<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/dealing-with-depression-in-medical-school\/#Diagnosis\" >Diagnosis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/dealing-with-depression-in-medical-school\/#Dealing_with_chronic_fatigue\" >Dealing with chronic fatigue<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/dealing-with-depression-in-medical-school\/#Optimism\" >Optimism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/dealing-with-depression-in-medical-school\/#Overcoming_the_stigma\" >Overcoming the stigma<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Medical school is about learning to care for others in the best way possible. But what happens when it becomes difficult to care for yourself? Today on the blog, third-year medical student M\u00f3nica Contreras Leal shares her experience with depression during medical school: how she learned to cope and eventually, to overcome.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We all know that going into medicine implies&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/2020\/07\/11\/how-to-tell-when-your-stress-level-is-becoming-harmful\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a lot of stress<\/a>&nbsp;and hard work. As students and future healthcare professionals, we are trained to be prepared to deal with whatever life throws at us and go above and beyond for our patient&#8217;s health. But we are never taught to care for ourselves, to dedicate some time to relax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What does it mean to never take a break? Why is mental health a priority in every field and a&nbsp;<em>MUST<\/em>&nbsp;in all students? How do you deal with a stigma? I\u2019d like to share my personal story and hope that this blog is helpful and inspiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"My_first_years_in_medical_school\"><\/span><strong>My first years in medical school<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During my first years in medical school, I never took any time for myself. I was so focused on studying and being this perfect medical student that I slowly became uninterested in what I was studying. I started oversleeping and not arriving to class. I failed a lot of exams, but I still pulled all-nighters every time I had a chance. I was crying every day and wishing I was dead. I even visualized how and when I was going to die by suicide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Diagnosis\"><\/span><strong>Diagnosis<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One day, my&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/2020\/05\/26\/seeking-mental-health-services-as-a-medical-student\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mom took me to a psychiatrist<\/a>, and boy am I thankful that she did. I was diagnosed with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/learn\/Generalized_anxiety_disorder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">anxiety<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/learn\/Major_depressive_disorder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">depression<\/a>&nbsp;during my second year of medical school (I was 21). I actually had no idea of what this disease was or what it meant. I thought that the oversleeping, over-eating, distancing from my friends was just what everybody went through in medical school because it was so demanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dealing_with_chronic_fatigue\"><\/span><strong>Dealing with chronic fatigue<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the key points in dealing with depression is the chronic fatigue you experience. I was always mentally drained and unable to do the simplest tasks, like showering or just reading. I started making a very strict schedule to follow so that I could finish all of my things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every day before bed, I would make a to-do list of everything I had to do\u2014including meals, showering, breaks, clases, and exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, there were days when I wasn\u2019t able to even get out of bed. Those days, I would lay in bed, journal why I was feeling this way, and just enjoy my day. I didn\u2019t think of all of the things that I had to do\u2014which would trigger my anxiety\u2014but rather, I let everything go and gave myself a break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think those days where I gave myself a break were the epitome of what I did to really overcome my chronic fatigue. Trying to motivate myself with loads of work only made my anxiety worse, so giving yourself a day or two to unwind is really amazing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/testimony-card-monica.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-896\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/testimony-card-monica.png 700w, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/testimony-card-monica.png?resize=300,200 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Optimism\"><\/span><strong>Optimism<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weed out any negativity\u2014don\u2019t focus on what you&nbsp;<strong>can<\/strong>&nbsp;or<strong>&nbsp;can\u2019t<\/strong>&nbsp;do. Look at every day as a blank canvas: What you did or didn\u2019t do yesterday is in the past and can\u2019t be changed. Give yourself positive affirmations in the mirror, and just before getting out of bed, write five things you are grateful for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Overcoming_the_stigma\"><\/span><strong>Overcoming the stigma<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was really scared of telling my own family about my&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/learn\/Major_depressive_disorder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">depression<\/a>. In M\u00e9xico, people with mental health issues are viewed as attention seekers, crazy, or drama queens\u2014so talking openly about this was really hard for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since then, I go to therapy every week, which has helped me overcome the stigma that surrounds people with mental health issues. I learned that everybody needs help in some way, that I am not the only one that is dealing with this, and that I should not only fixate on the negative of my depression\u2014I should use it to help others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I know sometimes you feel lost and alone\u2014especially in medical school where the amount studied isn\u2019t always reflected on the grades\u2014but I am here to tell you that grades are not everything. You are not alone. Be grateful for what you have and admire your baby steps. Try to be optimistic and never give into the stigma. Visualize every day as a blank canvas and enjoy the little things, even if it is that you smelled something amazing or that you went on a walk today. It does get better. This is just a \u201croad bump,\u201d and I know it seems impossible at first, but talk it out, write it out, exercise, and never forget that you are much more important than your midterms, your grades. And try to give yourself a break every now and then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/2020\/05\/30\/a-school-counselors-perspective-on-mental-health-in-medical-school\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Healthcare students<\/a>&nbsp;are people, too\u2014we can also have breakdowns. Taking a break is not bad. It is actually better for everyone who is going under a lot of stress and suffering from anxiety to just take a deep breath and decide to slow down\u2014this will help to be more productive and stay focused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>About M\u00f3nica<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>M\u00f3nica is a 3rd year MD at&nbsp;<\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.anahuac.mx\/queretaro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Universidad An\u00e1huac campus Quer\u00e9taro<\/a><\/em><em>. Born and raised in Quer\u00e9taro, M\u00e9xico. She loves discovering beautiful places, photography, her two dogs<\/em>\u2014<em>Bailey and Peanut<\/em>\u2014<em>and watching movies. M\u00f3nica would like to pursue a career in Ophthalmology or in Pediatric Cardiology. A fun fact about her is that she can say the alphabet backwards.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>_________________________<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/plans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/lets-get-visual-banner.png?w=700\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/lets-get-visual-banner.png 700w, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/lets-get-visual-banner.png?resize=300,107 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Try Osmosis today! Access your&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/login?type=create\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free trial<\/a>&nbsp;and find out why millions of current and future clinicians and caregivers love learning with us.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Medical school is about learning to care for others in the best way possible. But what happens when it becomes difficult to care for yourself? Today on the blog, third-year medical student M\u00f3nica Contreras Leal shares her experience with depression during medical school: how she learned to cope and eventually, to overcome. We all know [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,22,28,35,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-medicine","category-health-and-wellness","category-mental-health","category-osmosis-health-leadership-initiative-ohli","category-do"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Dealing With Depression in Medical School - Osmosis Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/dealing-with-depression-in-medical-school\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dealing With Depression in Medical School - Osmosis Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Medical school is about learning to care for others in the best way possible. 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