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Development and implementation of a Clerkship Counseling Hotline
Thomas H Gallagher1, Jan Munro, Leslie E Kahl
1Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. thomasg@u.washington.edu
Background:
The 3rd year of medical school is stressful, yet students may hesitate to access their school's mental health services.
Description:
We instituted the Clerkship Counseling Hotline, an anonymous, 24-hour cell phone hotline staffed by an independent counselor.
Evaluation:
Hotline calls were logged, and students were surveyed regarding the hotline. Seventeen students called the hotline 25 times during the year. Callers' concerns included disillusionment with medicine, anxiety over performance, and personal problems. The hotline did not reduce overall student stress compared with the 3rd-year classes preceding the hotline. However, 75% said continuing the hotline was important, and 75% found the hotline's availability reassuring.
Conclusion:
A clerkship counseling hotline may enhance medical schools' mental health resources.