Student-Led Stress Management Program for First-Year Medical Students

BACKGROUND: The medical education community has emphasized repeatedly the importance of teaching stress management and self-care skills to medical students. However, descriptions and evaluations of intervention programs are infrequent. This article describes a student-led stress management program for 1st-year medical students and summarizes program evaluation data from 1,111 participants. DESCRIPTION: The Stress Management Program is a voluntary activity that involves small groups of 1st-year medical students meeting with 2nd-year student coleaders. At the beginning of the fall semester, each group meets 1 hr per week for 7 consecutive weeks. Two psychologist faculty members serve as program coordinators. EVALUATION: Mean annual participation rate for 1st-year students was 94% over 16 years. Program evaluation results are strongly positive. CONCLUSIONS: Based on longevity, participation, and student feedback, the program has been successful. Recommendations for creating and maintaining similar programs are offered.