NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
El Paso, Texas, January 20, 2025: The death of medical student Vaibhav Duggal, who died by suicide in July 2025, has resurfaced in public discourse after his family released a detailed video alleging serious failures in how Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC) handled a complaint against him.
Duggal was a third-year medical student at TTUHSC’s School of Medicine. According to his family, he was an academically accomplished student — a summa cum laude graduate of Texas A&M University with a 4.0 GPA — and was deeply committed to becoming a physician.
In the video, Duggal’s parents allege that their son was accused of an “egregious breach of professionalism” following an unverified complaint from a female patient during an OB/GYN clinical rotation. They claim he was removed from clinical duties without a fair investigation, supporting evidence, or an opportunity to meaningfully respond to the allegation.
The family asserts that there were red flags and inconsistencies in the complaint that were ignored. According to their account, the patient provided Duggal with her Instagram handle after the appointment and later claimed she was unable to take screenshots of alleged inappropriate messages because he had blocked her — something the family says is not technically accurate on the platform.
The video further alleges administrative misconduct and bias, citing internal email exchanges in which a senior official suggested Duggal be removed from clinical duties before he was even interviewed. The family claims the university proceeded with disciplinary actions while key facts remained unclear, prioritizing institutional reputation over fairness.
A pivotal moment described in the video is a meeting held on July 28, 2025, during which a university official allegedly informed Duggal that he would be barred from patient interactions and school events, and warned that he could face dismissal from medical school. According to the family, the official also told him the situation could negatively affect his residency prospects. Despite Duggal repeatedly asserting his innocence and asking to explain his side, the family says his appeals were dismissed.
The parents allege that these actions caused severe psychological distress and reputational harm. They point to a late-night email sent at 11:36 p.m., in which Duggal was instructed to prepare for a remedial professionalism plan — which the family describes as effectively declaring him guilty before any investigation was completed.
In the video, the family characterizes the episode as an institutional failure marked by a breakdown of due process, lack of duty of care, and absence of a trauma-informed response. They also raise concerns about what they describe as gender bias in how allegations against medical students are handled.
The family has drawn parallels between Duggal’s case and that of Katie Meyer, the Stanford University soccer captain who died by suicide in 2022 following a university disciplinary process. They argue both cases illustrate the potentially devastating consequences of high-stakes academic discipline carried out without sufficient safeguards or mental-health support.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center has not publicly addressed the family’s detailed allegations, citing student privacy protections. No independent investigative findings or court rulings have been released at this time.
The family says they shared the video to seek accountability and to warn other institutions about the risks of disciplinary processes that fail to prioritize student well-being. “If even one person had intervened,” they state, “our son would still be alive.”
