The impact of a medical student's suicide

The suicide of a medical classmate can have a profound effect upon the survivors. After the violent death of a third-year medical student at the University of California-San Francisco, the level of concern expressed in discussion groups suggested a need to study the impact in more detail. Interviews and scale data from 20 volunteer medical students identified a pattern of posttraumatic symptoms persisting over several months. The interviewees' tendency to identify with the victim was related to the prevalent experience of medical student depression. Specific suggestions are made both for immediate crisis management and for preventive intervention strategies within a medical school.