Supporting my Classmates

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Scenario #1:

I could see that John was really under a lot of stress.  He’s been studying really hard this week, camping out in the LRC till after 3am.  He always seems to have a cup of coffee in his hand.  We’re all worried about finals week.  Jane said he’s been sleeping in the clinical skills room because he’s been too tired to go home.  He missed most of the lectures this week, including the review session before next week’s exam because he said he couldn’t wake up in the morning.  I know he’s worried because he doesn’t have any lecture notes.  I wonder if I should do something.

Scenario #2:

I talked to Christina when I saw her crying in the bathroom.  She said she was “OK” and had to do a history and physical examination on her patient tonight before scrubbing in on the surgery tomorrow morning.  This clerkship has been tough.  Christina has been late for morning rounds and the residents have been on her for not seeing her patients before they did.  At the conferences, it seems like she’s not even there.  She said she didn’t know if it was worth it anymore.  She hasn’t been eating and it looks like she’s losing weight.  But her last words to me got me frightened.  She said, “What should I do?  Should I speak to someone about it?  I don’t know what I’m going to do.  Maybe it’s better to end it all.”

Introduction:

It’s been said, “No one gets through medical school alone.”  Friends and colleagues in medical school know first hand what the experience is like and are often major sources of support.  As you begin medical school, you will meet classmates who will become lifelong friends.  Make a commitment to help each other along the way.  Take a personal interest in the well-being of your friends and colleagues.

Strategies:

• Use the Buddy System.  Promise to always be there and support a friend and ask their support of you.  When people ask for help(or you sense they need help) act immediately.
• Include people in your study groups.  When exams approach, stress levels rise and students who feel they have no one to student with may feel left out or frightened.  Reach out to those who seem alone.
• Share lecture notes, lab notes, and learning issues with each other.
• Make a Performance Pact with each other.  For example, if six students are assigned to a hospital, they might promise each other to make it the best learning experience possible.  “Let’s be the best group of students they ever had here.  Let’s help each other out.  If someone has lots of patients to take car of or is really tired, let’s help ease their load.  If anyone has a great patient or learns someone really exciting, share it with others.”
• Recognize distress in others.  If someone looks anxious or worried, speak to him or her.  If you feel s/he need help, suggest faculty or counseling help to her or him, or share your concerns with faculty listed below.
• Embrace differences.  Most people we meet during medical school experience will not talk and think exactly as we do.  Appreciate these differences, and see the opportunities in reflection when others see the world differently.
• Listen.  One way to really help classmates when they’re under stress is to simply listen.  Let your friend tell his/her story without interruption.  Be aware of body language, such as nodding your head and leaning forward, to emphasize that you are listening and you care.

People to Talk To:

Final Thoughts:

Medical School friendships are special and can be lifelong.  Support each other.

Quotes from former JABSOM students:

“The way to survive medical school is to support your classmates and feel supported yourself.  Forget about competition.  I found that the more I was open to helping, teaching, spending time with friends from school, the better I felt and did.”

“Making some time during study group for us to vent our frustrations and voice our concerns with each other was invaluable in helping all of us maintain our sanity.”
 

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