Research Opportunity from Medical Student Wellbeing

On behalf of the Keck School of Medicine, we would like to tell you about a research study.  We are contacting you because you are a medical student at the Keck School and currently on or soon to start clinical rotations.  We obtained your contact information from your class listserv and received approval to access this information from the USC Institutional Review Board (IRB).

We are conducting a research study to explore the impact of free meals discussing meaningful topics with colleagues (aka “Commensality Groups”) on the wellbeing of clerkship students.

We are recruiting individuals who meet this criteria:

1. Currently enrolled as a medical student in the Keck School of Medicine
2. Currently enrolled in the Class of 2027 or Class of 2028
3. Not currently on a research year, leave of absence, or otherwise on a break from school
4. Able to attend at least three out of six meals in Los Angeles from February through July (2026)

If you decide to participate in this study, you will be asked to do the following activities at the following locations:

1. You will be randomly assigned to a Commensality Group or a waitlist control group.
2. Both the Commensality Groups and the waitlist control group will fill out a 10-minute questionnaire four times: at the start of the study, six months in, nine months in, and twelve months in.
3. Students assigned to Commensality Groups will be randomly assigned to groups of 6-8 medical students plus a resident leader and will be asked to commit to attend at least three of six shared meals over the course of six months.
   1. Once a month for six months, the Commensality Groups will meet at a restaurant, order food, and enjoy a meal together.  The first 15 minutes of the meal will be dedicated to a structured discussion with a provided list of questions about positive topics related to work and life.  The remainder of the meal will be open for unstructured discussion.  A resident leader will guide the discussion and be present for support.  Students will agree to keep the content of the discussion confidential to those present at the group.
   2. Meals will be hosted off campus at a mutually determined restaurant and time.  Students will be able to submit for reimbursement for up to $30.00 for each meal, for a total up to $180.00 if you attend all six meals.

4. If you are assigned to the waitlist control group in 2026, you will be given priority to participate in a Commensality Group in 2027.

Participating in this research study is completely voluntary.

If you are interested in learning more about the study, please contact the study co-investigator, Dr. Maria Juliani, at [email protected]

The deadline to sign up for the study is Tuesday, January 27, at 5:00pm.  To sign up for the study now, please fill out this online form.  If you have any questions about the form, please contact the study coordinator, Peter Miranda at [email protected]