Ending the stigma: Mental Health in Medical School | Ellen Davis | TEDxNEOMED

In medicine, there’s an unspoken rule: you can struggle—but you can’t talk about it. From the moment future physicians apply to medical school, they’re quietly warned not to mention mental health struggles. Once they’re in, perfectionism becomes not just encouraged, but expected. The result? A culture where doctors and students alike push through exhaustion, anxiety, and even serious mental illness in silence—because that’s “just what we do.” Ellen Davis, a medical student at NEOMED, knows this firsthand. After years of living with OCD, anxiety, and depression—and even a hospitalization—she realized how deeply this culture of silence runs. Through her story, Ellen exposes how offhand jokes, stigma, and unspoken expectations keep medical professionals from seeking help when they need it most. This talk isn’t about blaming medicine—it’s about changing it. Ellen invites us to imagine a medical community where vulnerability is not weakness, and where asking for help is seen as an act of courage. Because if we don’t start talking about it, we’ll keep losing the very people we trust to heal us. Ellen Davis is a fourth-year medical student at NEOMED and a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army through the Health Professions Scholarship Program. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biology from Bowling Green State University, where she also competed on the equestrian team. Ellen is now pursuing psychiatry, a field where she aims to make an impact on mental health care. She’s also an avid runner, with several marathons—and even an ultramarathon—under her belt. Please join me in welcoming Ellen Davis. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx