An image of an American doctor, who was reportedly unable to save the life of his 19-year-old patient, has garnered an enormous amount of support and empathy for the doctor involved, as well as people who work in the medical field.

The man can be seen kneeling on the ground, slumped over trying to contain himself after realising he was unable to save the teenager's life.

Originally uploaded to Facebook, the image was then picked up by a Reddit user and subsequently shared by thousands of other people.

The poster, who supposedly works in California as an Emergency Medical Technician with the doctor in the picture, shed light on the tough experiences medical professionals face on a regular basis.

"The man pictured was unable to save one of his patients," the image's poster wrote. "Though this is a common occurrence in our field of work, the patients we lose are typically old, sick, or some combination of the two.

"The patient that died was 19 years old, and for him, it was one of those calls we get sometimes that just hits you. Within a few minutes, the doctor stepped back inside, holding his head high again."

Reddit users who read the post felt compelled to share their own personal and second hand stories to do with the arduous and mentally draining line of work medical professions undertake.

"I know I'm speaking in general here, and I know that we aren't all the same, however when it comes to our work, nothing is harder - and I mean nothing - than telling a loved one that their family member is dead," one user wrote.

"Give me a bloody airway to intubate. Give me the heroin addict who needed IV access yesterday, but no one can get an IV. Give me the child with anaphylaxis. But don't give me the unexpected death."

The photo has not been 100 per cent verified as that of a doctor.