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A family physician-counselor program for medical students
S M Davies1, C M Rutledge, T C Davies
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School.
Family Medicine
|May 1, 1993
Summary
Medical schools are implementing physician-counselor programs to address rising student impairment. These programs help identify and manage medical and psychosocial issues, improving student well-being and academic success.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Student Health
- Psychosocial Support
Background:
- Medical student impairment has risen significantly in recent years.
- There is a growing need for effective programs to identify and manage student health needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a physician-counselor program designed to support medical students.
- To evaluate the program's effectiveness in identifying and managing student health issues.
Main Methods:
- First-year medical students are assigned personal physician-counselors.
- Physicians conduct initial screenings and ongoing support, including small group meetings.
- The program focuses on identifying and managing medical and psychosocial problems.
Main Results:
- The program successfully identified various psychosocial issues, including alcoholism, mental illness, substance addiction, and sexual abuse.
- Management strategies were initiated for identified student and family problems.
- Both faculty and students highly evaluated the program's effectiveness.
Conclusions:
- The physician-counselor program is effective in identifying and addressing medical student health concerns.
- This model provides a valuable framework for supporting medical student well-being.