Madam myself post graduate student from AIIMS. I feel it is high time, that we should handle this tiger by its teeth. I am unaware of the total number of successful attempts committed since the birth of AIIMS. It is more than likely that the unsuccessful attempts had been several fold higher. If one would guess that the rate is about 1 death a year, the total number could reach 50 or higher. It is an utter failure of our AIIMS that it has not solved this problem. It appears that nothing has been learnt from this staggering loss of young lives in their prime. Other institutions, including medical schools in India, can not boast the same amount of prestige, organization, and academic intellect as it is with AIIMS . We have psychologists, psychiatrists, state of the art scans of human brain, and EEGs; but the problem seems to defy solution. We even discuss with an AIIMSonian alumni on campus to compliment other digital and in-person avenues of help. We heard of so many meetings last year to educate students about the art and beauty of life, and hoped that we will never confront this tragedy again. It seems that we are going in circles of futility. We have never heard that the parents of such youngsters to be ever invited, and be part of the solution . It can not only provide healing to them, but, they may also feel to be of some worth despite their loss, by championing the cause of reducing such mortality. Why do students, nurses, and residents do suicide at AIIMS campus and end their lives prematurely ? Can you suggest causes and treatment for this!!! Answer:- Age close to 20 is known to have a slight peak for several psychiatric illnesses. A small fraction of students would unfortunately develop a major psychiatric illness while they are still medical students or doing other courses. It is a catastrophic situation. Many cases would come to attention only after failing in exams. There was little help or reassurance for the parents years ago. It was a harsh sentence when they were told by the deans office, that the only reasonable option for their child was to opt out of medical school. I would suggest, that such brilliant but possibly temporarily impaired students be offered alternative admission in non-critical courses at the direct recommendation of dean, so that they could be productive and able to learn their livelihood later in life. An active surveillance of academically limping students is needed so that they could be treated appropriately at the earliest instance, as it may allow many of them to continue with their studies, and branch out into non-clinical careers if necessary, under close guidance. AIIMS is a hyper competitive institution, like such as Harvard University. All of them are plagued with frustration and some depression in the youngsters. Most of the students have to cope up with the fact of being mediocre or backbenchers despite being toppers during their school years. An active coaching of the students and parents during a couple of day long orientation, ensures that everyone understands the reality; and a mothers group or an equivalent may exist to help other mothers ensure that their child is not falling off the track, especially during the first few years. The situation is complex at AIIMS. Children of diverse backgrounds, including those who are truly deprived, and those who behave like deprived due the not truly guarded entry mechanism, from elite or the backward schools, with a wide spectrum of command over written and spoken English, get admitted. Some are from rich parents, and others can hardly afford to eat at cafeteria or the hostel messes. This does not go well in a hyper competitive environment, especially during the first few years. In a country like India, with so many social odds and ills, it is perhaps a mistake to compress the medical education into fewer years. This is counter intuitive to the national needs and other valid arguments not to lengthen the duration of studies. Lengthening the first year or two can lead to better adaptation by deprived candidates, they can develop better command over English, remain more in touch with their families, and everyone has more time to attend to their social, personal, and more importantly psychological needs. I would put forward an argument that human IQ is plastic, and it can increase. It is also genetically driven to peak at a particular age for a given individual assuming same environment as the comparator. It is more than likely, that we will see better equalization of IQ, and command over language skills in a curriculum which starts slow, but demands more rigor slightly later. There is nothing wrong to try this approach as a scientific experiment for few years, and publish the results for everyones benefit. There could not be a better condolence to all of the young lives lost in their prime, by doing something on these lines, and demonstrate that we reduced certain negative outcomes.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 07:00:38 +0000
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