we need to pass the Leigh Sundem federal laws part 1

Tue May 30, 2023 12:52 pm

this is Leigh Sundem


Dr. Leigh Sundem 35

That was the case in 2020, when 35-year-old Leigh Sundem, MD, died by suicideopens in a new tab or window after her third year of not matching

its stated she committed suicide in 2020 at age 35


this is Dr. Pamela Wible



this is her claim

Dr. Pam Wible wrote:
Dr. Leigh Sundem dies by suicide due to discrimination

Dr. Leigh Sundem died by suicide when she was obstructed from practicing medicine due to discrimination related to her drug addiction as a teen. Clean & sober 15 years, she was an advocate for others in recovery, even testifying to congress. With countless awards in med school, Leigh was a phenomenal physician, yet (after 3 years of applying) was never accepted into required residency training. Leigh did not want to die. Unmatched to residency, unemployed with student loans due, she saw no way out. In her suicide note, she asked her family to contact me & gave us instructions to share the truth so her story “goes viral” and starts a REAL conversation about ending the stigma of addiction in medicine. So Please . . .

1) Celebrate Leigh now by sharing your addiction or mental health recovery

ref https://www.idealmedicalcare.org/dr-leigh-sundem-dies-by-suicide-due-to-discrimination/



The Leigh Sundem story in a few sentences, as a preteen around age 11 or so, she started using illegal recreational drugs.

She continued using drugs like cocaine and heroin past age 18, and got felony convictions. I don't know the specifics of her felony conviction.

She turned her life around, got into college, got a perfect 4.0 GPA in science, chemistry AND the highest MCAT scores of her college history, 99%.

AMAZING! I must say.

she got into medical school, accrued over $300, 000 in student loan debt and debt related to medical school.

She graduated top of her class in medical school and got top board scores but because of her felony convictions

she initially applied to Orthopedics residency but because of her felony she couldn't match, second time she applied to ER, but again didn't match, so then finally Family practice and didn't match.

she was able to get involved in some sort of SOAP type program in Las Vegas while applying to residency.

without residency after medical school, she couldn't practice medicine as a doctor so she committed suicide, with $300, 000 student loan debt.

Dr. Pam Wibble said she was discriminated against, but a felony conviction is kinda a big deal.

What about other medical students with felony convictions, should they also be allowed into residency programs?  what if another medical student had sex with say an underage kid  resulting in a felony conviction. should he be accepted into residency? What if he was an 18 year old high school senior and the victim was a 14 or 15 year old high school sophomore?

so I propose the Leigh Sundem federal laws

the Leigh Sundem federal laws
medical schools and residency programs may not accept students with felony convictions

related to this, medical schools and residency programs are required to dismiss any medical student or resident who tests positive for illegal drugs.

any medical student or resident under federal laws are required for regular drug testing and if positive, must be dismissed.

under these laws, Leigh Sundem would not be allowed to go to medical school, but she wouldn't accumulate medical school debt.

of the $300 000 student debt, I don't know how much is from her undergraduate and how much is from medical school. But let's say hypothetically $30, 000 of her student loans is from her undergraduate college and $270, 000 was from medical school.

so Leigh Sundem would only have her undergraduate student loan debt, but not additional student loan debt from medical nor the 4 years of medical school and another 3 years or more, applying to residency programs which did not succeed.

If Leigh Sundem was barred from medical by these federal laws, she could choose another line of work. Maybe a phD in chemistry. Maybe a biology high school teacher. Maybe law school or nursing.  (though she does have a felony conviction). I don't know what kind of job you can get with a felony conviction but obviously medical school isn't one of them.

any future premed student in college would know they could not get into any medical school with a felony conviction so they won't suffer as Leigh Sundem did with huge medical school related student loan debt.

so in the future college advisors to undergraduate students with felony convictions will tell them that under  the Leigh Sundem federal laws  they may not be accepted into medical school so don't be premed. or related health care like dentistry nursing pharmacy PA or even veterinarian.

medical schools and residency programs are required to go into every premed candidate about their recreational drug use and require drug testing.

Leigh Sundem spent her preteen and teen years high on cocaine and heroin yet she was able to get a 4.0 GPA in chemistry and the highest MCAT score, but with a felony conviction.

Its a shame she didn't do something else with her life. I don't know if she could be a professor of chemistry or a chemical engineer with a prior felony conviction, but obviously residency programs didn't accept her.

the Leigh Sundem federal laws will help premeds with  prior felony conviction make a better decision than going to medical school, accrue huge student loan debt, and then commit suicide when they don't get accepted into residency programs, by not allowing them to get into medical school to begin with.

under Leigh Sundem federal laws had it been present before Leigh Sundem matriculated into college, she would know she wouldn't ever become a doctor so she wouldn't even be accepted into medical school.

she could do something else, maybe an accountant, anything that having a prior felony conviction wouldn't hold her back.

part 2 We need Christopher Duntsch federal laws