Are Medical Students More Likely to Become Addicted?
A recent survey of medical students in the U.S. revealed that more of these individuals are struggling with serious substance abuse issues than the general population. Alcohol abuse was noted by a third of students responding to a survey from Mayo Clinic researchers. Those students reporting burnout were also more likely to manifest signs of alcohol abuse.
Those students with greater debt load, who were unmarried and were younger suffered more greatly from these problems. By the time the average medical student graduates with his degree these days, he is $180,000 in debt. Combine that with life-or-death decisions and extremely challenging residency requirements and it’s not hard to understand why some people crumple under the stress.
Another study also done by the Mayo Clinic showed that anesthesiologists were at particular risk for drug abuse because of their access to potent painkillers. In 2014, an anesthesiology resident at the University of Michigan overdosed in the Cardiovascular Center of his hospital after injecting morphine from his own kit of pain medications. He was in cardiac arrest when found but was able to recover because of the prompt care provided.
Oklahoma Medical Schools
In Oklahoma, there are two medical schools with several hundred students. Hundreds more are enrolled in residency programs. Among the general population, the state already has high levels of prescription drug abuse and overdoses.
In 2014, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Oklahoma Medical School was dismissed after he removed a bag of fentanyl from the bedside of a patient in a vegetative state. Fortunately, the hospital’s controls were sufficient to promptly detect the theft and identify the perpetrator.
Drug abuse and addiction can strike anyone — the wealthy and the poor, the successful and the lost, professionals and laborers. There is no magic bullet to bring someone back from addiction. It takes commitment and hard work by both the addicted person and the staff of the drug rehabilitation center.
In twenty years, thousands of people have arrived at Narconon Arrowhead in Canadian, Oklahoma to recover their sobriety. In this beautiful rural location, it’s possible to leave the pain and fear of addiction behind and find the strength and ability to stay sober for good.
Narconon Arrowhead is a long-term, inpatient drug rehabilitation program.
To Learn how Narconon Arrowhead can help someone you care about enjoy sobriety again. Call 1-800-468-6933 today.
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/06/u-m_doctor_who_overdosed_on_st.html
http://www.medicaldaily.com/medical-students-alcohol-abuse-378504
