In My Experience: How Educators Can Support a Medical Student With Mental Illness

Despite high rates of depression, anxiety, and burnout among medical students and residents, there has been little discussion about the role of the medical educator in supporting affected trainees. In this Invited Commentary, an anonymous medical student with posttraumatic stress disorder describes her experiences during her preclinical and early clinical training. She argues that most educators intend to provide a supportive and inclusive environment but that many struggle to balance this goal with the need for academic rigor and student well-being. She describes several innovative solutions developed by the instructors, preceptors, and administrators at her medical school, in the hope that they might be used to support students at other institutions. Finally, she illustrates the ways in which these efforts have empowered her to be a better advocate for the patients and students in her community.