The news of a final-year MBBS student jumping from a third storey building a few days ago is not just shocking but a warning we can no longer afford to ignore. Such incidents are not isolated tragedies; they are warning signs of the immense psychological burden students silently carry. When stress, fear of failure and emotional exhaustion remain unaddressed, they often manifest in unhealthy and dangerous ways, affecting not only students themselves but also the society they will one day serve.
Medical and dental education is among the most demanding professional trainings. Students are expected to perform extraordinary academically, emotionally and socially under constant pressure. Across healthcare systems, research consistently shows that chronic stress during training can lead to long-term professional fatigue, reduced empathy and compromised patient communication.
It is now essential that structured Wellbeing Societies be established as a compulsory institutional component in all medical and dental colleges. These societies should provide stress screening, safe reporting channels, peer support systems and early psychological intervention pathways.
Early identification of students struggling with emotional or psychological challenges is not about labelling. It is about protecting lives, careers and future patients. If supported with dignity and confidentiality, many crises can be prevented before they escalate.
If we want safer hospitals and healthier healthcare systems tomorrow, we must protect our students today. Mental wellbeing is not an extra facility. It is an essential national healthcare infrastructure.
Dr Zainab Rizvi
Lahore
