Students Navigate Mental Health Struggles on the Pre-Med Track

After a few days of waiting for the results of her organic chemistry final exam, pre-med third-year biology major Rujuta Durwas finally got her grade back. It had the ability to pass or fail her, and when she opened her computer to see the results, she said she was so relieved she fell to the floor. After months of tears, minimal sleep and copious amounts of caffeine, she’d passed the class.

College can be stressful for many students, regardless of their major. However, pre-med students are often exposed to more intense pressure. 

This time of year is especially tense for pre-med students, as Medical College Admission Tests, more commonly known as MCATs, are being scheduled for some, while others are getting their scores back. Med school applications also open soon, while seniors await coveted acceptances.

Without a proper balance of these stressors, pre-med student mental health often plummets, according to research from the JAMA Network.

According to JAMA’s study on depressive symptoms among medical students, 27.2% of pre-med students report depression or depressive symptoms. 11% of medical students report suicidal thoughts, and roughly 10% pre-med students experience suicidal thoughts.

The number of pre-med students with a major depressive disorder diagnosis, known as MDD, was almost double that of non pre-med students, according to a study from the National Library of Medicine.

In order to get accepted into medical school and continue their education for another four years, students must maintain a good GPA, complete research, take the MCAT, compile letters of recommendation, gain in-field experience, prepare for interviews and apply to schools. 

The MCAT is a high-importance, computer-based test usually taken around year three of college, and scores are released 30-35 days after the exam date. Achieving a score of 510 or above is ideal.

Third-year pre-med biology major Bhuvana Vejandla said there are multiple pre-med-related stressors in the back of her mind at all times.

“There’s constant stress to keep my GPA very high to be a competitive applicant for med schools,” Vejandla said. “The stress of not only doing school but getting into labs, research, presenting, publishing, making connections with professors, recommendations, the MCAT, preparing essays — it really piles up.”

Fourth-year pre-med cognitive and behavioral neuroscience major Abhi Thati said the pressures experienced as a pre-med student differ from those associated with other majors.

“As a pre-med, your first four years are doing foundational work,” Thati said. “Because it’s simply foundational, the degree you get as a pre-med doesn’t have the most value externally after those four years. The pressure is somewhat doubled because you need to commit yourself to getting into and completing not four but eight years of education.”

Durwas said rigorous coursework and the competitive culture of the field aren’t the only stressors pre-med students face. There are also financial burdens, internal expectations and familial pressures, in addition to the basic day-to-day worries most college students experience. 

“I have to make an effort to balance the people in my life I care about with doing well in school, extracurriculars and different clubs,” Durwas said. “Extracurriculars like research, Doctors Without Borders or the Hindu Student Organization are very important to me, but they’re a stressor in the sense that I want them to go well.”

Durwas said fear of familial disappointment is another struggle. As the only child of immigrant parents, she said she considers her success to be their success, which she wants for them as much as for herself.

Vejandla said her self-esteem and self-confidence are also affected by the pre-med lifestyle.

Basing self-esteem on academic success is an unsustainable mental health habit that can be detrimental to student wellness, according to William Peace University. 

“As you’re applying to med schools, you’re being compared to your peers,” Vejandla said. “When I look at another pre-med student and I know they’re doing better than me in a class, I automatically compare myself to them. In this toxic pre-med culture, it’s like second nature.”

Vejandla said the stress has also impacted her personal relationships with family, friends and even herself. She said if her parents had it their way, she wouldn’t be pre-med because they’ve witnessed the stress taking her on a roller coaster of emotions.

“First semester of sophomore year, I had a rough finals season,” Vejandla said. “I went home and fell into another anxiety episode. I didn’t sleep for four days straight and then had more insomnia, barely sleeping for more than fourteen days. My parents did not want me to come back because they were scared for my well-being.”

Durwas said mental health management is important for pre-med students and listed some of the ways she attempts to deal with stress.

“I started lifting and that’s been an outlet,” Durwas said. “Another thing is painting. It’s definitely something that relaxes me, and it’s so calming. I also joined a dance team last year, and as busy as it is, it’s really nice. It’s all you have to think about in the moment. The simplest thing is being with my friends, because even if it’s just studying together, I love their company and having people around — it relieves me.”

Although the path is difficult, pre-med students who get through their struggles are able to do so with a combination of hard work, dedication and passion, according to Thati.

“There needs to be a lot of emotion and personal attachment to the field, and that’s going to allow you to be dedicated for a long period of time,” Thati said.

Thati went on to explain his reasoning for being passionate about becoming a doctor, and what keeps him going when he’s feeling discouraged in his work. 

“For me it was the birth of my brother,” Thati said, “It was the first time I was exposed to what medicine looks like in a larger setting, and the emotions I experienced while seeing my brother grow up, it’s all been a very long journey. For me, nurturing that part of life is very important, and the best way to ensure future generations have the necessary infrastructure to grow up is to make sure health standards are maintained over the course of their lives.”

Despite the challenges of a pre-med education, Thati said the path is deeply fulfilling for those yearning to make a meaningful impact in medicine.

“You need to be good at it — that’s why pre-med is difficult,” Thati said. “That’s why getting into med school is difficult — the system is trying to find the best of the best. You need to excel in academics to even have a chance. It’s a large task, but for the people that are in it for the right reasons, I truly believe it’s the most rewarding thing a person can put themselves through. It’s a level of accomplishment and connection with humans that no other profession can offer.”

Editors Note: This story was updated Jan. 29 to remove the inclusion of Stritch School of Medicine students from the photo caption, as students discussed in this story are undergraduates and not students of the medical school.