TCOM student uses art to shine a light on mental health within the medical community
Doctors and, well, honestly, anyone who wears a white coat is held in high esteem
by the general population. They are always there for us; we trust them, and we turn
to them when we need physical and mental healing…but who do they turn to when they
need healing? You might be surprised to hear that rates of depression (33%), anxiety
(24%), and PTSD (10%) are higher among physicians than the general population, according
to a new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association. Doctors and medical
students preparing to enter the field for perhaps a variety of reasons just don’t
talk about it.
Lucinda Ba is doing something about it. The first-year student at UNT Health Fort
Worth’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine is also an artist, and her latest work,
To Be a Med Student, was chosen to be on display at the Arnold P. Gold Foundation
Humanism Summit in September. Her four-part acrylic canvas painting hopes to shine
a brighter light on the often-hidden struggles with mental health, grief, illness,
and self-doubt that can exist beneath the surface of medical education and the medical
profession.
“We go into this job wanting to do a lot of good, but it does take a toll on us emotionally,”
she said. “There is a lot of stigma physicians can face because we are the ones who
are supposed to take care of patients. We are all human, and there is always something
we will be going through.”
Art has been a hobby for Ba and an outlet.
"It's also a way for me to understand the world,” Ba said. “You can see another person's
perspective through their art and convey yours too."
Ba, who was born and raised in Houston, studied biology and psychology at the University
of Houston before coming to TCOM. Her interest in both science and psychology has
given her an appreciation for the complexity of human health. Yet her own experiences
in medical school have also shown her how difficult it can be for those pursuing careers
in medicine to acknowledge when they themselves are struggling.
That realization became the foundation for her artwork.
“I wanted to shed light on how clinicians and providers struggle so that people realize
this job is still very human-oriented,” she said.
In medicine, there can be an expectation that those responsible for caring for others
should always appear capable, composed, and healthy. Ba sees a contradiction in that
expectation. Physicians and medical students are trained to recognize illness, encourage
treatment, and care for patients facing physical and mental health challenges. Yet
many find it difficult to openly acknowledge their own struggles.
Unfortunately, the problem is not improving. An estimated 10% to 14% of physicians
suffer from a drug or alcohol addiction during their careers, compared to about 5.8%
in the general public, a 2023 study showed.
In her artist statement for To Be a Med Student, Ba asks a series of questions: What
struggles do people in medicine hold only to themselves? What internal battles do
they hide from loved ones, peers, mentors and patients? Why is there often a perceived
need to sacrifice personal health or conceal grief to continue meeting the demands
of medicine?
Those questions are not abstract for Ba. They are rooted in her own journey.
When she arrived at TCOM, Ba expected the transition to medical school to be challenging,
but she did not anticipate the extent to which academic pressure and personal struggles
could become intertwined. Like many students entering a highly competitive environment,
she began comparing herself to those around her and questioning her own abilities.
“At one point, I started thinking I was too stupid for medical school,” she said.
Ba struggled academically, leading her to take time away from school. The experience
was difficult, particularly because of the way academic setbacks can affect a student's
sense of identity and self-worth.
“In medical school, you can feel like you were chosen to be here and that you are
meant to be here, because you are,” she said. “Then, when you are going through struggles,
you start questioning whether medicine is for you and whether you can handle it.”
For Ba, the challenges of medical school were connected to a larger struggle with
physical and mental health illnesses that many go through, but few speak about. She
had experienced anxiety surrounding grades and testing before medical school, but
the intensity and volume of medical education created additional pressures. She found
herself questioning her abilities, comparing herself to classmates and feeling increasingly
isolated.
The isolation, she said, can be one of the most difficult aspects of struggling in
medical school.
Even within a supportive community, students may hesitate to share their difficulties
because they fear judgment or worry about how others will perceive them. Medicine
can feel like a small world, and students may be reluctant to reveal vulnerabilities
that they believe could make them appear less capable.
“You look around, and everyone is amazing at lots of things,” Ba said. “Sometimes,
you don't know that the person sitting next to you is having some of the same issues
you are.”
Ba has spoken with fellow students, friends, mentors, and physicians who have confided in her about struggles involving grief, mental illness and physical health. Some have sought treatment or taken medication while continuing to fulfill the demanding responsibilities of medical training and practice.
Those conversations have reinforced for Ba how many people may be carrying similar
burdens privately.
Her goal is not simply to raise awareness. She wants the conversation to lead to change.
“It's not just about awareness,” Ba said. “I want there to be change. I don't know
what the answer would be, but I want there to be a bigger change in how people see
things. Our struggles make us more relatable to our patients.”
That change, she believes, must include a greater willingness to recognize the humanity
of medical students, residents and physicians. Struggling does not make someone weaker,
less intelligent or less capable of caring for others. In fact, Ba believes that acknowledging
personal struggles can make future physicians more relatable and compassionate toward
their patients.
Ba also believes the responsibility for addressing mental health cannot rest solely
on the individual who is struggling. Communities, institutions, and peers have a role
in creating environments where people feel safe asking for help and speaking honestly
about what they are experiencing.
“To anyone struggling, you are not alone, and you are not a burden,” she said. “It's
okay to get support and reach out.”
The selection of her artwork for the Gold Humanism Summit is also part of that growth.
Ba initially saw an opportunity for students to submit artwork for the exhibition
after coming across information about it online. She noticed that much of the artwork
from previous exhibits focused on patients and their experiences. Her perspective,
however, centered on another side of the human experience in medicine: the people
preparing to care for those patients.
She decided to apply.
“I thought, why not someone from TCOM?” she said.
Submitting the work also required Ba to confront another challenge—the possibility
of rejection. As part of her personal growth, she has been intentionally pushing herself
to take opportunities even when the outcome is uncertain.
Her willingness to do so paid off. Those who see her work will see an artistic expression
of a reality that is often concealed behind professional expectations, academic achievement,
and the outward appearance of success.
For Ba, that is precisely the point.
She wants people to look beyond the surface and consider what their classmates, colleagues,
mentors and physicians may be experiencing privately. She wants medical students who
are struggling to understand that they are not alone and that a setback does not define
their intelligence, potential or future.
“We are all going through something,” Ba said. “That makes us more human.”
The Gold Foundation proudly “champions humanism in health care,” and through To Be a Med Student, Lucinda Ba is making sure that humanity has a place in the conversation.
Click here to see more of Lucinda's work.