Quality and Safety in Healthcare, Part LXVII Counseling, Mental Health Services, and Wellness Curricula for Medical Students

There are many approaches to improving the well-being of medical students such as having a wellness curriculum including emphasizing the importance of keeping a balance in life between work and other activities, encouraging mindfulness and other stress reduction techniques, getting adequate sleep and exercise, and learning about the signs of burnout and depression. It is also important to have mentoring services and discussion groups available and to offer counseling for monetary management. Mental health services must be made available, and the students should be advised that seeking treatment will not adversely affect their ability to get a license or a good residency. The students should be counseled that being employed while in medical school is associated with a greater chance of burnout. © Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.