Student Wellness

Office of Medical Student Wellness

The Office of Medical Student Wellness provides student life advising, wellness programming and learning environment initiatives to enable students to thrive academically and personally throughout their medical school experience. Our aim is to foster a safe and supportive learning environment.

The following principles inform our work:
To empower students to develop their professional identity, and find meaning within their medical school experience
To enable students to succeed as lifelong leaders
To embrace the value of diversity and personal growth throughout the journey
To encourage self-care, resiliency, wellness and the pursuit of one’s passions
To engage all individuals in the promotion of a sense of belonging within the community

Mental Health Team Information

Submit your wellness ideas

Student Life Advising

The Associate Dean with the Office of Medical Student Wellness is a confidential resource to help students resolve personal issues that may affect academic life. She is points of contact for students who wish to discuss sensitive or personal topics or to obtain advice of a non-academic nature.

Students are encouraged to bring issues that impact their life decisions, well-being and academic performance. Issues appropriate for OMSW include the following:

Interpersonal conflicts or misunderstandings
Struggles with the stresses of school, family or social life

Uncertain career direction
Questions regarding professionalism

The Associate Dean is also available to discuss the possible need for referral for:

Medical care
Psychological therapy
Drug/alcohol dependency treatment
Tutoring

Study skills improvement
Harassment
Financial problems
Legal advice

Confidentiality Policy

The freedom to discuss concerns without there being any influence on a student’s evaluation or grade is an essential component of our work at OMSW. As a general rule, we provide a confidential environment.

It is worth bearing in mind, however, that unlike discussions with an attorney, psychiatrist, ombudsperson or clergy, communications to OMSW are not shielded by law. There are situations where the University may be required to take some action to address these concerns and we may need to disclose. These include concerns relating to race and gender discrimination, sexual harassment or the personal safety of the student/others.

Wellness and Mental Health Resources

Immediate Mental Health Crisis Assistance: Stanford Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 650-723-3785
Mental Health Team (MHT): Provides free, accessible mental health care to School of Medicine and BioSciences students. To make an appointment, call CAPS Front Desk at 650-723-3785 and request an appointment with an MHT provider.
Mental Health Resources at Stanford
Stanford has a wealth of mental health resources to help you navigate challenging times.
Ears for Peers (E4P) is a student-to-student peer listening group that provides free and confidential counseling for the Stanford School of Medicine community.
Children & Family; Elder Care & Caregiving; Navigating Work & Life: link includes child care and lactation support.
Clerkship Resources for MD Students: information on the various clerkship site location's emergency protocols and procedures, call/rest rooms, study spaces, meditation/relaxation rooms, lactation rooms and locker rooms accessible to all medical students
Office of Disability Resources
Office of Substance Use Programs Education & Resources (SUPER): Stanford has resources available for students seeking help for self or peers with substance use and other addictions. For information on Stanford Medicine resources, download the substance abuse and addiction resource below.

Tools for Respectful Workplace (Educators)

Medical School Survival Rules

Substance Abuse and Addiction

Mistreatment

Stanford School of Medicine is committed to providing a work and educational environment that is inclusive and conducive to teaching and learning, research, the practice of medicine, and patient care and takes all mistreatment related concerns seriously. Please visit the School of Medicine Learning Environment website for more information on reporting mistreatment in the learning environment.

Policies & Protocols

Universal Precautions and Needlestick Protocol
Disability Insurance

The School of Medicine participates in a group medical disability policy in which student's are automatically enrolled. A mandatory $40 fee is assessed during winter quarter and cannot be waived. The fee is reflected as “Pre-Enrolled Med Disblty Ins” on your student account. Students who qualify for long term disability receive monthly benefits of $1,500 to $2,000 (based on their year of training), and student loan payoff provision of up to $225,000. If you have questions, or need to file a claim, please contact Margaret Govea in the Office of Medical Student Wellness at govea@stanford.edu or (650) 721-3963.

Attending Physician Statement

Disability Insurance Policy

Disability Insurance Summary

Disability Insurance Info for Graduating Students

Disability Student Claim Form

Programs & Events

Stanford Wilderness Education Active orientation Trip (SWEAT)

The Stanford Wilderness Education Active orientation Trip (SWEAT) is a three-day pre-matriculation camping trip for incoming medical and MSPA students organized by OMSW and aided by second-year students. The Stanford Medicine Alumni Association assists in sponsoring SWEAT which is designed to build students’ sense of belonging to the Stanford Medicine community, foster relationships that last throughout medical school, and build students’ confidence to tackle the physical and mental challenges that medical school brings. In 2023, over 80% of incoming students participated in the elective trip. Information including dates for SWEAT and Alternate SWEAT (1-day option) is provided in the packet that admitted students receive in June.

Stanford Medicine Student Cup (SMS Cup)

The Stanford Medicine Student Cup (SMS Cup) is an annual field day event to foster community building within and between learning communities. Faculty members serve as team coaches and cheer for their students as they engage in friendly competition in a series of events including relay races, field games, and trivia. Students have called it a “great way to de-stress” and an “opportunity to spend time with classmates, older students, and faculty mentors.” In 2021, more than 90 students, faculty, and staff members participated.

2021 SMS Cup

"I think the whole experience of working as a team was really fun and let me get to know my classmates more."
"Opportunity to spend time with classmates, older students, and faculty mentor."

Tuesday Lounging and Conversation (TLC)

Tuesday Lounging and Conversation (TLC) was conceived by the Ears for Peers peer counselors to create and promote a safe space for discussion for medical students and bioscience students and community building. The Ears for Peers and BioPeers peer counselors host the hour-long TLC which are scheduled five times a quarter in the student lounge. All students are invited and converse. Warm drinks, snacks, and a welcoming environment are provided. Please stop in.

Bike Safety Program

The Bike Safety Program was initiated by medical students to promote bike safety and help change bike safety culture at Stanford University. OMSW co-sponsors the program along with Stanford Transportation. Incoming students are invited to complete a bike safety pledge and receive a bike helmet and safety kit. In 2021, all incoming medical and masters’ students pledged to wear their helmets and follow the rules of the road.

Bike Safety Resources

Bicycle Safety Testimonials - https://transportation.stanford.edu/bikesafetyvideo
Bicycle Safety Class Flyer - https://transportation.stanford.edu/bike-citation-class-flyer
Bike Safety Rules Flyer (PDF) - https://transportation.stanford.edu/bike-safety-flyer
Pre-ride bike safety sheet (PDF) - https://transportation.stanford.edu/five-simple-checks
California DMV Bike Safety website - https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-education-and-safety/special-interest-driver-guides/bicyclists-pedestrians/
Stanford's Bike Safety Outreach - https://transportation.stanford.edu/bicycle/learn-more-about-the-bicycle-program

Altruism and Activism

Altruism and Activism

Dozens of white coats were carefully laid out to cover the steps of a Stanford Medicine building yesterday afternoon as part of the #ProtectOurPatients campaign, a grassroots movement seeking to defend the Affordable Care Act. (Link to SCOPE post)

January 30, 2017 - Students show support for Affordable Care Act.

February 14, 2017 - 1 Billion Rising

Medical students, faculty, and staff members participate in mass action to end violence against women.

Transition to Clerkships

2021 Transition to Clerkship Retreat (link to recording)

On April 16, the Office of Medical Student Wellness sponsored its annual Transition retreat virtually for the second year medical students as they complete their classroom based instruction. We recorded and are sharing the presentations of our plenary speakers.

Lee Jones, MD (UCSF Dean of Students, Psychiatry): Change, Challenges, and Progress: Connection and Well-Being are not Optional
Paloma Marin-Nevarez, MD (UCSF-Fresno, Emergency Medicine Intern): The Most important Question of Medical School and Other Tidbits of Advice from a Current Intern

Curricular Initiatives

Pre-clerkship Curriculum

OMSW participates in New Student Orientation by leading a session entitled Promoting Personal Wellness and staffing several wellness-related tables at the Resource Fair. We also encourage students to register for wellness elective courses, and we provide additional curricular resources and support for sensitive topics identified in the pre-clerkship curriculum.

Clerkship Curriculum

OMSW hosts the annual Transition to Clerkship Retreat at Fat the end of Quarter 6. The purpose of this annual retreat for students transitioning from the pre-clerkship to clerkship curriculum is to celebrate the completion of their classroom education and learn about life in clerkships. Additionally, students have the opportunity to interact with faculty leaders from their first clerkship and attend a keynote talk pertaining to their shift from the classroom to clinical settings. Past keynote speakers include authors and experts in wellness.

2014: Carol Dweck, PhD - Developing a Growth Mindset
2016 and 2017: Lucy Kalanithi, MD - Coping with Planned and Unplanned Transitions

2018: Tait Shanafelt, MD - Building Resiliency to Avoid Physician Burnout
2019: Dereca Blackmon - Having Difficult Conversations with Positive Outcomes & Jane Lemaire, MD - Why Physician Wellness Matters
2020: Abraham Verghese, MD - Medicine: Unchanged Through Antiquity
2021: Lee Jones, MD - Change, Challenges, & Progress: Connection and Well-Being are not Optimal & Paloma Marin-Nevarez, MD:The Most Important Question of Medical School, and Other Tidbits of Advice from a Current Intern
2022: Arghavan Salles, MD, PhD - Clerkship Survival: How to Remain Yourself Through Medical Training
2023: Kelley Skeff, MD, PhD - Making the Most of Your Clinical Time
2024: Kelley Skeff, MD, PhD

OMSW also co-facilitates Rounds for clerkship students to facilitate reflection on their interactions with patients.

Wellness Electives

Student Leadership

Student wellness leaders are change agents within the School of Medicine, building a culture of holistic well‐being by developing initiatives that promote sense of belonging, student empowerment, and self-care. We empower medical students and the broader medical school community to reach their full potential and be bold in their commitment to self‐care and service to others.

OMSW collaborates closely with the Stanford Medical Student Association Wellness Team, a group of students within the medical student governing body who also focus on promoting wellness. Since 2014, student wellness leaders have been instrumental in helping to plan OMSW’s major events and have also developed their own programs including reflection groups, a big sib program, and an advice guide for first-year students.

Student Leaders

Jonathan Shi, SMS2 and SMSA Vice President of Wellness

E-mail: jonshi AT stanford DOT edu
Student Groups: Ears 4 Peers

Student Wellness Research

A critical component of OMSW’s work involves ongoing assessment of medical students’ wellness needs and evaluation of our wellness programs.

Data

Stanford medical students take the Learning Environment and Wellness Survey to assess their well-being related to four areas: stress, mental health, empathy, and the learning environment. In 2013, findings revealed that in the third year of medical school, empathy, mental health, and learning environment quality were slightly reduced, and student stress was slightly elevated, suggesting the importance of wellness programming for clerkship students.

In Fall 2014, OMSW administered the OMSW Start-of-Year Survey to assess medical students’ interest in programming across a range of wellness topics. Respondents identified stress management, exercise, nutrition, sleep, and relationships as the topics that interested them most.

Also in 2014, Stanford medical students Megan Roosen-Runge and Jessie Liu conducted the Barriers to Self-Care in Medical School Study, which involved a survey (n=171) and discussion groups (n=17) to assess the self-care habits students tend to sacrifice, barriers to self-care, protective factors, and desired programming to promote self-care. Respondents indicated that the greatest barriers to their self-care were lack of time, lack of energy, and the culture of medicine; there was increased perception among clinical students that the culture of medicine and lack of energy are significant barriers. The wordle to the left highlights the most common words used on student survey's.

OMSW is encouraged by 2014 Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire data indicating that the percentage of Stanford medical students who are very satisfied with the School’s programs and activities to promote well-being is increasing and is higher than the All Schools average.

Contact Us

Dr. Anita Honkanen
Associate Dean for Wellness and Student Life Advising
Schedule an Appointment
Office: Alway Bldg

Dr. Rebecca Smith-Coggins
Associate Dean for Medical Student Life Advising

If the matter is urgent, please call 650-723-6661, identify yourself as a medical student, and the page operator will call Dr. Honkanen's cell phone.

Margaret Govea
Director, Medical Student Wellness
MSOB X1C40, 1265 Welch Road
Phone: (650) 721-3963
govea@stanford.edu

Sophia Yevoo, MA
Student Services Specialist
Wellness and Mental Health Team
MSOB X1C42, 1265 Welch Road
sophiaew@stanford.edu

Find a doctor

Clinics & Services

Research Resources

Professional Training

Education Resources