Over the past few years, I have seen a remarkable increase in the number of MBBS seats in medical institutions across India. With this precipitous rise, the competition for the PG entrance exams has intensified significantly. It is now fairly common to see medical students starting their preparations for the entrance exams right from the […]
Tag: MINDS Newsletter
Learning Psychiatry as a Junior Resident: Beyond Diagnosis and Prescriptions – by Dr. Vaibhav Sunil Nawale
Stepping into psychiatry residency feels like crossing an invisible line, from watching to doing, from curious observer to responsible clinician. As junior residents, we suddenly become the first faces patients and families look to for answers. It is both exciting and intimidating. Very soon, I realised psychiatry is not just about nailing the right diagnosis […]
From Wounds to Wrath – Movie Review by Dr. Manshi Kakrania
As a psychiatry resident, after watching the movie Dhurandhar, I couldn’t help but notice the psychological struggles of its main character and highlight how mental illness can develop due to emotional trauma, stress, and lack of support. The protagonist portrays antisocial personality traits, narcissistic traits, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Rather than portraying the character […]
More Than a Grumpy Old Man: The Psychiatry behind “A Man Called Ove” by Frederick Backman – Book Review by Dr. Mehak Mittal
I read this book five years ago, long before I stepped into the world of Psychiatry. I remember closing the book feeling deeply moved and overwhelmed. It made me teary-eyed in some places and laugh out loud in others. Back then, I thought it was simply a beautiful, heart-warming story about a grumpy old man […]
DO’s and DONT’s of MENTAL HEALTH – by Dr. Lonika R.
Mental health – a phrase we’ve heard countless times, yet often fail to understand truly. In the corridors of medical colleges, where stethoscopes swing and stress levels soar, mental well-being usually becomes the silent casualty of ambition. As medical students, we’re taught to examine, diagnose, and treat the body – but are seldom reminded to […]
Addiction in Advancing Age – Risk Factors and Possible Solutions – By Dr. Anirban Dutta
Psychiatric disorders in the elderly population have been an area overlooked for decades, and within that, addiction is no exception. Use of alcohol, tobacco, illicit substances, and prescription medications is an arena that demands exploration regarding the impact it has on older people, considering the biological and social changes that accompany advancing age. As per […]
Psychiatry Residency in India: Bridging Training Gaps in the NMC Era – By Dr. Ruchi Soni
It has been thirteen years since I walked in the corridors of the psychiatry ward as a junior resident. Back then, psychiatry training happened while walking back and forth from the psychiatry ward to the OPD. There were no specified competencies at that point in time. You learned psychiatry, as Albert Bandura once postulated in […]
Looking Inwards to Close the Mental Health Treatment Gap – By Dr. Priyash Jain
At any given time, one in ten adults in India experiences one or more mental health conditions. Despite this significant burden, the self-reported treatment gap as per the National Mental Health Survey 2016 remains alarmingly high at 84.5%. The treatment gap is highest for substance use disorders (91%, excluding tobacco use disorder) and lowest for […]
Down The Memory Lane by Dr Rayees Ahmad Wani
Volume 13 Issues 11 November, 2023 The Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) started by NMC from year 2019 has made undergraduate students more interested in the field of psychiatry. CBME is an approach to medical education that focuses on defining specific competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes) that medical students must demonstrate before they can progress through their […]
The Rise of the Vapes
Volume 13 Issues 11 November, 2023 Fast forward to the early 2000s, the first modern e-cigarette devices began to emerge, and by the 2010s, various brands had flooded the market. Vaping, defined as using a handheld electronic device to inhale a mist (or “vapor”) into the lungs, became increasingly popular. The landmark 1964 Surgeon General’s […]