Students’ perception of medical school stress and their evaluation of a wellness elective

Abstract

CONTEXT: Because medical education is known to be demanding and stressful, Case Western Reserve University developed a programme which included a wellness elective which focused on stress reduction and personal wellness. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore students' perceptions of medical school stress and to assess their perspective on the wellness elective. SUBJECTS: The essays of 60 medical students enrolled in the wellness elective were used. METHODS: The essays were analysed using qualitative methodology. Results were validated by questionnaires mailed to the students 2 years later. RESULTS: It was found that the students felt that: (1) wellness issues should be important for physicians; (2) their own wellbeing had been diminished by the burden of information to be learned in medical school; (3) talking to peers was a useful coping mechanism, and (4) the elective gave permission to engage in wellness activities without additional guilt. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the students' responses, a wellness elective could be a useful addition to the first- or second-year medical curriculum.