Student-led stress management program for first-year medical students.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Student Well-being
• Psychology

Background:

• Medical education emphasizes stress management and self-care for students.
• Intervention programs for medical student stress are infrequently described or evaluated.
• This study details a student-led program and its evaluation data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a student-led stress management program for first-year medical students.
• To summarize program evaluation data from a large participant cohort.
• To provide recommendations for establishing similar programs.

Main Methods:

• A voluntary, student-led Stress Management Program was implemented.
• First-year medical students met in small groups with second-year student coleaders.
• The program consisted of weekly 1-hour sessions for seven consecutive weeks, coordinated by psychology faculty.

Main Results:

• The program achieved a high mean annual participation rate of 94% among first-year students over 16 years.
• Program evaluation results were strongly positive, indicating effectiveness.
• Sustained high participation and positive feedback suggest program success.

Conclusions:

• The longevity, high participation, and positive student feedback confirm the program's success.
• The program serves as a model for effective stress management interventions in medical education.
• Recommendations are provided for creating and sustaining similar initiatives.