Quinnipiac Student Writes Article for Annals of Internal Medicine

NORTH HAVEN, CT – Andrew Conner of New Haven, Connecticut, a second-year medical student at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, wrote an article that was published Dec. 3 in “Annals of Internal Medicine.”

“The goal of the study was to estimate the proportion of suicide attempts in the United States that result in death and to describe how that likelihood varies between different demographic groups, across geography and by the method used in the attempt,” Conner said.

He said the study found that firearms, by far, are the most lethal method used in suicidal acts, with 9-in-10 attempts being successful. In contrast, drug poisonings, which account for roughly two-thirds of suicidal acts, are fatal in less than 2 percent of attempts. Overall, it was estimated that about 1-in-12 suicide attempts result in death.

“Certain groups of people are more likely to use a firearm in a suicide attempt, and that in turn helps to explain differences in suicide rates between demographic groups and across geographical areas,” Conner said. “Suicide is an important public health issue, and I am honored that this work can be disseminated in a manner that will reach a wide audience of clinicians. Findings from our study suggest that prevention approaches aimed at reducing access to firearms for at-risk patients could save lives. Clinicians can play a more active role in counseling patients about the risks imposed by household firearms.”

Conner co-authored the article with Dr. Matthew Miller of Northeastern University and Dr. Deborah Azrael of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Connor earned a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern before enrolling in the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac. He hopes to pursue a career in emergency medicine.

“While at Northeastern, I worked as an EMT and a medical assistant at a clinic serving the homeless population in Boston,” he said. “Those roles always left me with the desire to understand more about the pathophysiology of disease and medical treatment. I always looked up to the physicians that I worked closely with, and to see the impact they could make in someone's life heavily influenced my decision to go into medicine.”

“Annals of Internal Medicine” is one of the most widely cited and influential medical journals in the world, with an impact factor among the highest of any specialty journal in its category. Its mission is to promote excellence in medicine, enable physicians and other health care professionals to be well-informed members of the medical community and society, to advance standards in the conduct and reporting of medical research, and to contribute to improving the health of people worldwide. Established in 1927, “Annals” is the flagship journal of the American College of Physicians.