09/17/2025
Today is National Physician Su***de Awareness Day. We pause to acknowledge a painful truth: physician su***de continues to claim lives at alarming rates. Nearly 400 physicians die by su***de each year—roughly the size of an entire graduating medical school class. Emergency physicians and residents are among the most vulnerable.
If you ask most physicians, they know someone who has died by su***de. Colleagues, friends, med school classmates, fellow residents. People who gave their lives to caring for others while quietly carrying more than they could hold.
As a community, we have to do better. That means normalizing conversations about mental health, checking in on each other, and creating systems where it is safe to say, “I’m not okay.” At ECS, our mission is to cultivate a community that normalizes and encourages everyone to care for their mental health, as well as collectively caring for each other.
If you are struggling, you are not alone. Call or text 988 for immediate support. Reach out to a colleague, a friend, a counselor. Connection is protective.
Your wellness is not optional. Your life matters—to your patients, your families, your teams, and to all of us.
