Studying medicine in the modern age is a very demanding pursuit, but is it too demanding? Many medicals students suffer the sting of overwhelming debt, poor social life/school balance, the need to stand out in a sea of other medical students vying for the same job opportunities, and of course the heavy amounts of school work and studying. While students can turn to friends and family for support, they can do nothing to relieve these factors of stress in the long run. Many schools don’t provide the mental assistance to help their students cope with this stress, which is the heart of the matter.
How Medical Students Can Receive Hope
One great example is that of UCLA’s Counseling and Psychological Services program serves to aid in these instances of declining morale for students that have succumbed to the stress. The program offers crisis counseling and drop-in meetings to talk students through the emotions they are currently going through.
While the program has received some acclaim, there is no program tailored to medical students specifically. This is important because these students face the future of a highly competitive field with literal life and death consequences.
Creating programs specifically tailored for medical students is of the utmost importance if we want our future doctors to thrive during school and after they graduate. Schools like the University of Washington and many more have adopted this program. If you’re struggling with the stress of medical you should definitely look into similar programs at your institution. With enough support and awareness, these programs will continue to grow and improve throughout the country.
Helping medical students cope with the stress of their career path and studies will help the country improve the stability of the medical field as a whole and the programs that already exist are worth exploring and investing in.