Socks 2 B U

A critical review of Crazy Socks 4 Docs and how we tackle mental health among doctors

Trigger warning: Discussion of suicide, mental illness and the wellbeing industrial complex

Unknown meme artist

“So, nurses, pharmacists and physios all get one day a year to celebrate their profession, and we get one day a year telling us to stop killing ourselves?”

This is how one follower put it, when I put out feelers trying to get an idea of the vibe out there in relation to another year of Crazy Socks 4 Docs.

I remember being a medical student when Crazy Socks 4 Docs came into being: a single day in a year, designed to raise awareness of the disproportionately high rates of physician mental illness and suicide. I recall the messaging being pretty clear back then, hell, I even put on a pair of mismatched socks and made an Instagram post. What else could I do? And year on year, the day continued and became associated with morning teas and occasional speaking events (neither of which I, nor many others I know, have ever been able to attend, due to the demands of, well… you know… work).

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