Examining the Impact of a Week-Long National Training Program to Enhance Well-Being in Medical Students: Leadership and Education in Integrative Medicine Program (LEAPS)

Abstract

Purpose: Concern has been mounting over the increase in depression and hardening of empathy occurring during medical school. Training on health promotion through integrative medicine treatment and prevention which may counteract this trend is still absent from most medical school curricula. In response, the CAHCIM in collaboration with two national organizations has implemented a week-long summer intensive residential program (LEAPS) to foster leadership in integrative medicine and enhance medical student well-being. The aim of this study is to present effects of this curriculum innovation and explore mechanisms for observed outcomes. Methods: Participants included two cohorts of medical students (N = 60) who participated in the LEAPS program during the summer of 2012 and 2013. Each cohort represented a range of allopathic and osteopathic schools in North America and spanned the M1 through M3 training years. The residential curriculum included didactic training in integrative medicine, with experiential learning in self-care practices and small group work focused on cultivating personal awareness, leadership and community. Participants completed a pre-post survey protocol of several validated measures related to mental health and wellbeing. Thematic content of student's responses to open-ended survey questions were content analyzed Results: Paired sample T-tests revealed significant decreases on anxiety and depression scales pre-post training for both cohorts. Moreover, all students presenting with elevated referral risk for clinical depression (n = 13) fell below these risk levels posttraining. Students described the holistic immersion as a transformative experience increasing their felt sense of community and support. Conclusion: A one-week intensive learning experience that emphasizes holistic self-care and belongingness in a community of like-minded peers and faculty appears to be effective in reducing negative affective states related to anxiety and depression which may be exacerbated by medical school training. The sustained impact of this effect was replicated in two cohorts and is currently being explored though follow-up data analysis.