Medical students are more likely to have a drinking problem according to a new study released on Wednesday, referring to school debt and burnout students as the main reason for this alcohol intake risk. A recent study by the Mayo Clinic found a doubled risk for medical students to abuse alcohol drinking in comparison with their peers.
For the study’s trial, a survey was sent to 12,500 medial students across the United States and over 4,000 responded. And almost half of the medical students who responded reported alcohol abuse or dependence on liquor. Taken on a percentage scale, the research shows 30 percent of medical students experiencing an alcohol-drinking problem.
According to the study published online recently in the journal Academic Medicine, alcohol abuse is commonly reported for younger students who carry heavy loan debts. Wellness programs could help solve the current situation in medical schools, said the study’s co-author Eric Jackson, a medical student at Mayo Medical School.
Dr. Liselotte Dyrbye, an internist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota claims their findings show there is a motive for distress, considering that medical students are the future of medicine, it’s in the American people’s interest to keep them away from alcohol abuse.
“We recommend institutions pursue a multifaceted solution to address related issues with burnout, the cost of medical education and alcohol abuse,” said Dr. Liselotte Dyrbye in a Mayo Clinic’s news release.
Burnout factors
After analyzing the data compiled from the 4,000 surveys received, the researchers found a strong association between burnout factors including emotional weariness and of course, drinking among medical students.
In order to find a reasonable solution for this, it’s important for researchers to determine which factor plays the main role in alcohol abuse among medical students.
In a noticeable change in the past few years, the cost of medical school increased over 200 percent since 1995, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Amazingly enough, medical students graduating two years ago had an average of $180,000 in educational debt.
It’s understandable for medical students to try drowning their sorrows in liquor, as anyone would if they owed almost $200,000 just after graduating. The ridiculously large amount medical students are paying for tuition should be revised, adapted, and suited to realistic costs. Offering a quota-by-quota payment plan could be one of the options to reduce the stress med students are currently under.
Source: UPI