A survey of health promotion programs in U.S. and Canadian medical schools

A health promotion and wellness survey questionnaire was sent to all 143 accredited medical schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Of the 120 responding schools, 29 (24.2%) offer health promotion programs and 91 (75.8%) do not; most programs began only recently (average 5.42 years). Nineteen schools plan to begin programs soon. Most emphasized in the programs is physical well-being and least emphasized is spiritual well-being. Over 50% of the schools offer these components: study skills (62.1%), support groups (62.1%), time management (58.6%), aerobics (55.2%), intramural sports (55.2%), and financial planning (51.7%). Most programs are administered by the Dean of Student Affairs, 48.3% have a budget, and 51.7% have an evaluation component. All schools with programs expressed an interest in developing a network to share information. Emphasizing health promotion and disease prevention throughout medical education is important, particularly as an approach to enhancing the doctor-patient relationship.