Wellbeing

All services are confidential and at no additional cost

• Keck School of Medicine medical students can make appointments with the Director of Medical Student Wellbeing for consultation and support with referrals and resources at any time through medical school. The goal is to assess mental health needs and provide resources and specific referrals to USC Student Health or Community providers using student’s private insurance to assist students in connecting to quality care in a timely manner.
• Ongoing, short- term therapy and psychiatry services are available through USC’s student health services including crisis help that is available 24-hours a day. Referrals to Community providers or to the faculty practice, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Service at Keck Medicine are provided, if needed.
• All first-year medical students are intentionally invited to schedule optional and confidential, mental health check-ins, called Keck Checks with the Director of Medical Student Wellbeing. Keck Checks were created at KSOM. It is nationally recognized program for prevention, early intervention and support with connecting to wellbeing resources. Keck Checks are also offered to M2-4s during key transition periods in their education.
• Keck Mental Health Survey, an anonymous online survey issued annually to all med students to assess their own mental health and provide feedback of risks and strengths. Director of Medical Student Wellbeing is available to meet with any student who wants to review the survey results and collaborate on a plan to address needs.
• Keck Peer Support provides one-on-one trained peer support, a very popular monthly anonymous online Keck Check-up submissions with feedback from KPS leaders emailed to all med students and an annual PostSecret art installation that encourages connection and de-stigmatizing mental health struggles.
• Interactive Survey program (ISP) is available 24/7 for students to take a brief mental health related survey and seek anonymous feedback and dialogue from the Director of Medical Student Wellbeing.
• 30 Day Wellbeing Challenge every semester: prizes awarded for levels of participation in healthy habit building activities, such as journaling, mindfulness, physical activity, etc.
• Mental health panel discussions with faculty and other students.
• Supportive, confidential 1:1 or small group debrief sessions are available for clerkship students to discuss challenges of beginning clinical work.
• Elected Wellbeing student representatives, two per class, who host wellbeing activities like yoga in the quad, watercolor and art activities, therapy dogs, pumpkin carving competition, offsite coffee and Boba chats, etc
• Student Wellbeing Committee each semester to focus on student concerns and solutions with Deans, Directors, and Wellbeing reps.
• Mandatory wellness day for clerkship students on each rotation.
• Recurring and confidential time off requests for any health-related appointments facilitated by Student Affairs.
• Individualized behavioral help to improve time management, self-care or work-life balance available through the Division of Occupational Therapy’s Lifestyle Redesign program.
• Deans are available for support 24 hours a day through the Deans On-Call service.
• Schwartz Rounds are held quarterly for hospital staff to discuss emotional issues in caring for patients and families.
• Debrief programs are available at Keck Hospital (Care for the Caregiver), Los Angeles General Hospital (Helping Healers Heal, H3) and CHLA Healing Response Team (HeaRT)
• Mindful USC: Wide variety of mindfulness and self-compassion offerings.
• 3 Student Lounges available. Sun box for use for seasonal affective disorder, moon pod for rest and games, puzzles and coloring supplies.
• Additional Sun boxes are also available for home use check out
• Norris Medical Library Wellness and Reflection room is located on the lower level of the library and is a quiet space to meditate, pray, stretch or just find a moment to reflect and reduce stress. Walk ins are welcome but reservations take priority.

• Free membership at HSC Fitness or at the Village Fitness Center and Lyons Recreation Center on UPC main campus
• GROUPEX Classes including cycling, dance, HIIT, Pilates and Yoga available at the Village Fitness Center with a Workout Pass ($140/semester)
• Swimming @ Uytengsu Aquatics Center on UPC
• USC Recreational Sports

• Office of Religious Life offers community of spiritual reflection
• Student communities of various denominations host regular gatherings

First semester begins with topics like Asking for Help, Introduction to Gross Anatomy Lab, and Time and Energy Management. The Wellbeing Curriculum evolves into more advanced topics that are relevant for the developmental stage for each year in medical school, like Emotional Coping on Clinical Rotations and Let’s Talk about Suicide.  Most of these sessions are required and are built right into the schedule. Students are never tested on the content of these sessions to avoid adding evaluation stress. The requirement is to attend, be present and absorb the material. Some offerings are optional, like the performance-based workshops for STEP 1 and Imposter syndrome.

The other major intention, though, is to supply med students with skills that support thriving and personal growth. Students need special skills to deal with the inevitably challenging and unique path that is being in medicine. We utilize cutting edge evidence based holistic skills for coping. And our deepest hope is that through undergoing this curriculum, students gain the sense that they are important, belong and matter.  It is about learning to care for your patients and to care for yourself. Our goal is to prioritize caring for oneself as an integral part of being a good physician.