The organic formation of a wellness committee: A unique, student-led approach to implementing a wellness program in medical school

Abstract

Background: Medical school wellness programs are rapidly becoming a prevalent feature of medical education. The wellness component of medical education is addressed by a multitude of different approaches, but is often led by administrative faculty rather than students. Approach: The first-year medical student authors collectively established a medical school wellness committee that is entirely student-driven. The goal of the wellness committee was to organize and promote student ideas centered on six aspects of wellness. Evaluation: The formation, initial successes, and hurdles to the inception and continuation of the committee are described in a repeatable way. Reflection: This perspective provides insight into a student-led innovation that was formally accepted by faculty and administration to serve as part of the university’s overall wellness initiatives.