Medical Student-patients: Mental Wellness During the Pandemic.

Abstract

Medical schools around the globe canceled in-person classes and switched to virtual classrooms shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began. The shift to online platforms posed serious challenges to medical education. During normal conditions, medical school is viewed as a challenging time during which resilience is critically important. There is an intense workload, increasing the risk of burnout and difficulties in work/life balance. In addition to the intensity of the curriculum and clinical rotations, most students accumulate loans that further increase the pressure to succeed. All medical schools are required to offer mental health services for their students. Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals providing care to medical students must consider the unique circumstances during an unprecedented time in the patient's educational life. This article will review the treatment dynamics created by the medical student-patient and the evidence-based approaches that the psychiatrist can utilize in a psychotherapy setting.