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Mental health problems in medical students affect academic performance, lead to dropout and negative course evaluation, and influence future professional life. The objective was to estimate the prevalence of mental health problems and the perception of quality of life, according to course cycles, an epidemiological survey was carried out in with 1,980 undergraduate medical students at the Federal University of Minas Gerais were invited. In 2018, students answered the online questionnaire (Google Forms), containing sociodemographic information, related to the course, behaviors, mental health and quality of life. A descriptive and comparative analysis was performed, according to the cycles (Basic, Theoretical-practical and Clinical), using Pearson's Chi-square and ANOVA. The response rate was 74.2% (n=1,470). Depression (42.8%), anxiety (19.4%), changes in sleep (70.0%) and worse perception of quality of life were more prevalent in the Basic cycle; consumption of alcohol and anxiolytics in Theoretical-Practical (88.3%; 23.5%) and Clinical (86.5%; 27.9%) cycles. Higher prevalence of mental health problems and worse perception of quality of life in the first two years of the medical course show the need to offer psychological support to newcomers to the university, in addition to improving the educational environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idiosyncrasy of the medical profession, the characteristic personality traits of the physician and the lack of specific training to properly recognize and treat one's own vulnerability dispose this group to suffer more mental pathology and probably worse control of other medical diseases. Most of the studies promoted so far focus on the psychiatric and addictive concerns of the physician, from the point of view of the sick doctor as being at risk for malpractice and to guarantee the safety of their patients. The narrative review of scientific literature (MEDLINE, EMBASE and IME 1985-2016) has shown that we do not have in the Spanish-speaking environment updated information about the doctor as a patient, despite being a topic of incipient media repercussion and undoubtedly relevant from the point of view of patient safety, professionalism and medical ethics and as well as the welfare of professionals. The characteristic of a sick doctor are more complex than the rest of patients with a conflict of roles and repercussions on professional ethics and the quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]