Wellness Efforts Exist but National Strategy Needed

by David Hodges

The Medical Post

January 11, 2005

Needs of student doctors being acknowledged; variety of initiatives at local level.

TORONTO - Issues pertaining to the health and well-being of Canadian medical students have been recognized in recent years, but resources for providing nationalleadership and advocacy in this arena are still lacking.

In similar fashion to recent initiatives spearheaded by Canadian physicians-such as the Canadian Physician Health Network, founded in 200l-Canada's student doctors have been taking matters into their own hands.

In response to student concerns about wellness and mental health issues, the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS)--a volunteer national organization representing more than 6,000 medical students at 13 member schools across Canada launched its first National Student Wellness Week in 2004.

The event, which took place in early May, emphasized the importance of physical and mental well-being while managing the stresses of medical student life. As part of Wellness Week, the CFMS also launched the inaugural Medical Student Awareness Day, designed to inform the medical community as well as the community at large about the health and well-being needs of student doctors.

"Efforts are being made," said Ryan Chowdhury, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Alberta who served as wellness officer for the CFMS in 2003. "It's just a matter of making sure the networks we currently have exist and that we improve on them."

Part of the problem, Chowdhury said, is that wellness programs are run independently across the country and lack standards. Most of what is available is what students themselves or medical faculties have created on their own. "So it can vary quite a bit, depending on what school you go to."

Positive changes

Dr. Mamta Gautam, an Ottawa psychiatrist who specializes in treating physician patients, also lamented that not enough is being done to promote health and well-being in Canada's medical schools. She did, however, cite programs at the University of Ottawa and the University of Calgary that are in the later stages of embodying health and well-being into the curriculum as examples of "positive changes ahead."

In general, Dr. Gautam spoke highly of the various initiatives promoted by the CFMS, a sentiment shared by Dr. Derek Puddester, director of the faculty wellness program at the University of Ottawa.

In this year's October issue of the Medical Journal of Australia, Dr. Puddester wrote about increased recognition and awareness of the health and well-being of Canada's doctors and medical students in the wake of the SARS crisis. He noted initiatives spearheaded by the CFMS have helped students at Dalhousie University's faculty of medicine in Halifax gain access to a unique peer support program that sponsors activities focused on the humanism of medicine and themes of personal health and wellness.

In addition, the CFMS focuses on the role of partners and family members during an annual "significant others" night, he said. Another program, at the University of Ottawa, offers access to a mentorship program and health initiatives.

Dr. Allan Peterkin, a Toronto psychiatrist who wrote Staying Human During Residency Training, said Canada is at the forefront of wellness programs. "This batch of medical students is reaping the benefits," he said, pointing to resources such as the Canadian Medical Association Centre for Physician Health and Well-being, which provides information for physicians, medical students and their families.

Lack of funding

Chowdhury acknowledged the benefits of recent initiatives facilitated in the last five to 10 years, but said student health and wellbeing awareness is still hampered by funding--or rather, a lack of it. For example, the CFMS provides $6,000 per year for wellness programs at the University of Alberta, he said, "which is very little compared with what could be out there.

"There's a difference being made by these programs, so as long as we realize that and continue to fund these programs, I think we can do a lot to make sure problems that existed in the past don't exist in the future."