Saudi Gazette report

DAMMAM – Recent studies have shown that Saudi students of medicine suffer psychological trauma more than their counterparts in other disciplines due to poor performance in their studies.

Dr. Mishaal Al-Oqail, a mental health consultant in the Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, said 67 percent of medical students suffer from stress, a health condition that could develop into mental disease if not treated properly.

“This tension is often caused by the stress of workload as well as the high expectation of families in the performance of their children,” he said.

Speaking at a psychology seminar at the university, Al-Oqail said the students' stress level goes up when they score low marks compared to other students, especially relatives.

“Parents will compare them with other students in academic performance, thus creating depression and worries,” he pointed out. Genetic factors are other reasons for such a mental condition, he added.

According to the latest statistics issued by the Ministry of Health, 20,133 students were enrolled in the Kingdom’s medical colleges in 2016 with Saudis accounting for 19,767 of them. The number of medical graduates that year stood at 2,380, with 2,339 of them Saudis.

Al-Oqail pointed to the high social status enjoyed by medical graduates. At the same time, medical students have to pay a price for this prestige in the form of heavy workload and stressful study time. They have to allocate a good portion of their time for study and project work, he explained.

He said mental pressure, depression and anxiety are the most common psychological diseases experienced by medical students. They blame their low academic performance on teachers and but at the same admit that it was caused by their lack of diligence and hard work.

A medical student will not be able to perform well in studies if he or she is absent from classes for several hours and if they had not slept well, Al-Oqail said.

“Students should learn time management, focus on studies, engage in sports and physical exercise, establish social relations and clear their doubts in a timely manner. They should also approach an experienced psychiatrist if they experience any mental problems, including stress,” he explained.