12/03/2026
When the healers themselves are hurting...
A trainee doctor in Malaysia has tragically lost their life.
Investigations are ongoing, but early reports suggest that work stress and workplace bullying may have contributed to the tragedy.
Sadly, this is not an isolated conversation within the medical community.
Many doctors who trained in the Malaysian public healthcare system know too well the incredibly demanding journey through housemanship and early training.
The long hours, intense workloads, steep learning curves, and high expectations are part of the profession.
But there is an important difference between rigorous training and toxic environments.
Over the years, there have been repeated discussions about bullying, humiliation, and unhealthy hierarchies in hospitals.
Many of us have experienced being treated as “doormats” - insulted and belittled in ways contradictory to the "noble" profession medicine claims to be.
And the impact is real, not only in physical exhaustion, but also in mental wellbeing.
These conversations are uncomfortable but they are necessary.
Some doctors would justify these experiences as "building reslience".
Others speak of it as a badge of honor - surviving their hardships during "their time".
What is even more concerning is how these experiences can perpetuate themselves - when those who were once subjected to toxicity later carry the same behaviours forward as they become seniors, specialists, and consultants.
Medicine is a profession built on the principle of caring for others, yet sometimes we forget to care for those within our own profession.
Training doctors must be challenged and guided - ofcourse, lives depend on them being competent.
But fear, humiliation, and intimidation do not create better doctors - they create exhausted, burnt-out and broken ones.
I say this not as an outsider, but as someone who has personally experienced how difficult that environment can be during training.
The reality is that many doctors carry these experiences quietly.
We rarely talk about them publicly - perhaps because medicine teaches us to endure.
But endurance should never come at the cost of someone's physical and mental wellbeing.
If there is any lesson from tragedies like this, it is that we must continue building a healthcare culture that is:
- demanding, but humane
- disciplined, but respectful
- resilient, but supportive
Our healthcare system depends on doctors who are strong, capable, and compassionate.
But to care for patients well, we must first ensure that our doctors themselves are cared for too.
My deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues affected by this loss.
Perhaps the real test of our profession is not just how well we heal our patients, but how well we look after those standing beside us in the same journey.
The challenges and pressures faced by trainee doctors at government hospitals at this time are quite worrying.