While the numbers from this study was surprising, it was not shocking. As a gradaute student in biochemistry, I have seen first-hand how depression and burnout happens.

Students start making their career plans as undergraduates - what is the best school? who is the most prestigious professor? what is the "sexiest" research project? Only 1 in 13 graduate students will ever see a position in academia: none of us have a position waiting for us when we get out. This fact is held over our head often throught the 5-6 years as students, putting pressure to put in 60 hour weeks, putting undue stress on our dating and a social life, and turning every decsision into more than it is. On top of that, we can expect to make less than 45K as post-docs after graduation, until we get one of those 1 in 13 slots or "sell out" to work in industry which is equally as competitive.

I want to feel so sorry for med students, but I think all students who spend the better part of their life competeing in academia get depressed and burn out.

yep, I agree. You think that if you succeed in school and do everything you're supposed to you're going to be fine, and it's completely the opposite.

Lookinglassgirl has a point, but she is also missing a big one. The depression and burnout that can possibly lead to suicidal ideation or completion are not comparable in academia. In medicine and nursing it is the day to day struggle to help/cure those who have no hope of such and then watch them hour by hour suffer. Even when there is a "cure" the pain many patients endure on that path can be agonizing, physically and mentally. This includes the patient's family, as you take on their needs as well.

Social and dating woes are seem hardly significant in comparison to med school and I would think if salary was a big factor for you it should have been researched beforehand. If I printed my salary as a nurse from 26 years ago you would need an emesis basin. No one wants you to feel sorry--that's sympathy, but some empathy would be appropriate and welcome.

There is a difference between what happens when you get out of graduate and medical school. When you get out of graduate school, and you screw up your research or whatever, worst case scenario, it ruins your own life. When you get out of medical school, and you screw up, someone dies. People who talk about the stress of other schools and programs do not seem to realize that the stakes are higher in medicine/nursing, because out of hundreds of decisions one makes daily, one careless mistake is all it takes to kill someone.