Substance use among senior medical students: a survey of 23 medical schools

Article Abstract:

Previous studies on substance use (alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs) by medical students have generally involved only one school or geographic area, and thus their results may not be applicable to all medical students. A questionnaire about substance use was answered anonymously by over 2,000 senior medical students from 23 schools. Over 90 percent of the substances used were first tried before medical school, with the exception of tranquilizers. When questioned about what penalties, if any, should be assessed against practicing physicians who use or abuse various substances, the students' recommendations were increasingly severe depending on the frequency of use and the degree of impairment by the hypothetical physicians in question. In comparison with their less educated peers, the medical students generally tended to use the various substances less frequently. The most commonly used substances among the medical students were alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Understanding the trends of substance use and abuse among medical students might assist schools and the medical profession to develop policies to address the issue. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Medical students

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Resident physician substance use in the United States

Article Abstract:

A study was conducted to examine trends of substance use among 1,785 resident physicians. The substances in question included alcohol, cigarettes, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs, to which residents have easy access for the first time in their careers. The only drugs for which daily use was reported were alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and amphetamines (one respondent only). When compared with others of the same age groups but with only college or high school educations, residents were found to have lower rates of use of most substances except alcohol. Over 80 percent of the residents who reported substance use noted that their use first began at early stages of their lives, such as high school or college, and that only tranquilizers and certain narcotics were more likely to have been begun during residency. The study did not show that physicians have unusually high rates of substance use during their training, but further research is needed to see what patterns of drug use will be found as their careers progress, particularly in reference to the use of tranquilizers and narcotics. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Residents (Medicine)

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Prevalence of substance use among US physicians

Article Abstract:

Physicians may be more at risk for abuse of or dependence on prescription drugs than the general population. Of 5,424 physicians who responded to an anonymous mail survey, 10% drank alcohol every day and 0.6% had five or more drinks daily. Over 50% tried tobacco, but only 3.9% smoked a pack or more of cigarettes a day. Less than five percent used marijuana in the year before the survey, and one percent used cocaine in the previous month or year. Less than one percent used amphetamines or major opiates in the month's time before the survey; few had tried heroin, steroids and psychedelics. Physicians were more likely to have used used alcohol, minor opiates or benzodiazepines than the general population, but less likely to use illegal drugs such as cocaine. Prescription drugs such as minor opiates or benzodiazepines were used mainly for self-treatment, suggesting that self-diagnosis and treatment may contribute to greater use and abuse of prescription drugs. Higher use of alcohol among physicians reflect their socioeconomic class rather than their profession.

Physicians, Medical professions, Statistics

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