Baker, W., DiLiberto, C., Lee, J., Torpey, E., Lambert, K. & Micciche, D. The L.E.A.D. Mentor Program: Promoting Wellness Through Medical Student Peer Mentorship. American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Annual Conference, Virtual Presentation – Online, April 2020.
Challenge/issue:
It is well-documented that the rigorous demands of medical education can increase the prevalence of anxiety, depression and suicide among medical students. While many students identify peer supports through organic experiences, many do not, and may struggle without proper support.
Objective:
To design and implement effective programming that provides peer support for medical students to directly addresses the stressors of medical school.
Approach:
Through the development of the L.E.A.D. Mentors Program, RowanSOM students and leaders created a meaningful peer to peer mentoring program. The mentor-mentee relationships are focused on the concerns voiced by the mentee. By pairing mentors and mentees via common personal or academic experiences and goals, we established a support system that is unique at the medical school level. Our in-depth and personalized process uses surveys to anonymously match approved mentors to mentees based on their unique requests which considers various life circumstances, mental health, interest in a particular medical specialty, interest in research projects, community service, study plans and much more. Mentors are expected to listen, help mentees rise to the many challenges of medical school, offer strategies on how to minimize daily stress and serve as a support for underclassmen.
Results:
In the first year of this pilot program, we were able to foster 75 mentor-mentee relationships. Data from a year-end survey (N=32) suggests that the L.E.A.D. Mentor program decreased the stress level of first and second year medical students by an average of 62%. 94% of respondents stated “yes” to recommending the program to their peers. Mentees rated how appropriate their match to mentors was as a “4.1” on a 5-point scale. Mentees also rated how able their mentor was able to help them with their concerns as a “4.2” on a 5-point scale.
To ensure the success of the program, defined roles within the program leadership must be developed and close and frequent follow-up by the mentor after initiation of the mentor-mentee relationship must be initiated. Continued input from the school’s administration about the program mechanics, mentor selection and leadership structure are important elements for a sustainable program.
William Baker, OMSIV, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Christian DiLiberto, OMSIV, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Jonathan Lee, OMSIV, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Erin Torpey Gallagher, OMSIV, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Baker, W., Holston, J., Lambert, K., Micciche, D. & Mitchell, B. Gaining Students’ Perspectives in Wellness Planning: A Unique Approach to Student Wellness. American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Annual Conference, Virtual Poster – Online, April 2020.
Challenge/Issue:
Many published reports have shown the prevalence of depression, anxiety and burnout in medical students is significant. With medical student mental health concerns on the rise, medical schools are seeking to develop innovative programs to address the high levels of stress, the causes of stress and the barriers that prevent students from attending wellness activities.
Objective:
RowanSOM Student Council, in collaboration with the Office of Student Affairs, sought to develop student-directed, student-involved wellness programs by engaging and surveying students to identify stressors and barriers to wellness, as well as to create programming based upon student input.
Approach:
To identify students’ stressors, current wellness practices and barriers to wellness activities, an anonymous eight question survey was developed by the Wellness Task Force and sent to all students during the 2018-2019 academic year. Two-hundred and sixteen students from all four class years completed the survey, representing a 29% participation rate. The survey included questions about frequency and types of wellness activities, barriers to participate in wellness activities, levels of stress, causes of stress, how well RowanSOM is doing with student wellness and suggestions for improvement.
The Wellness Task Force used the survey data, as well as input from the 13 member committee, to determine high-frequency stressors for students including the curriculum, class and exam schedules, career planning, finances, relationships and school/life balance.
Results:
The survey helped the Office of Student Affairs and the Wellness Task Force better understand the state of wellness and overall stress levels at RowanSOM. Key highlights of the survey included:
Among the 216 respondents, 76 (35%) rated their current level of stress as a 3 on a five-point scale, with 3.5 as the mean level of stress across all respondents. When asked about their top three stressors, the highest reported responses were exams (174, 81%), planning for residency (117, 54%), and lack of time for outside activities (112, 52%). With regards to wellness activities, 119 (55%) indicated they practice wellness every day, with exercise being the top reported wellness activity (78, 38%). The top three obstacles to attending on-campus wellness events were lack of time (122, 56%), not on campus enough (43, 20%) and events don’t interest me (30, 14%).
Based upon the survey results and input from the Wellness Task Force members, student guided programming was developed to address the high-yield issues that medical students face and the obstacles preventing participation in campus wellness events. Programs and outreach included drop-in therapy sessions, promotion of apps and websites providing 24/7 on-demand wellness resources, weekly pet therapy visits, snack breaks with healthy food choices and increased wellness activities overall with shorter time commitment, especially during high stress periods (based on student schedules and exams).
William Baker, OMSIV, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Jamila Holston, OMSIII, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
