Stress and adaptation in learning and practicing medicine : an elective course for medical students

In their pursuit of careers in medicine, medical trainees and practicing physicians frequently endure significant levels of biopsychosocial distress. Psychiatry can play an important role in providing education about successful adaptation to a medical career and how to avoid dysfunctional states. The author describes a course designed to provide instruction to help medical students improve their adaptive skills. The course emphasizes preventive methods for maintaining well-being throughout a medical career. Both didactic and experiential methods of instruction are used to teach the class. The course targets a number of topics considered important for adaptation and well-being, using small group discussion to help students explore their ideas and experiences. By use of a concept referred to as the "longitudinal analogous experience," current experience is explored to provide insights that hopefully will lead to more effective adaptation in the future. The instruction encourages the medical student to develop and use adaptive coping styles and skills to maintain an effective level of overall functioning throughout the training and practice years.