MINDFULNESS IN MEDICAL SCHOOL

Mindfulness is becoming recognized by leading Medical Schools as a beneficial practice for their students, residents, and faculty. Mindfulness is cultivated to promote physician self-care, self-awareness, and empathy with the ultimate aim of mutually improving physician well-being and the quality of patient care. Programs also frequently discuss how to directly integrate mindfulness into clinical practice. Below is a sampling of mindfulness programs currently being taught to medical students.

Brown University Alpert Medical School: Scholarly Concentration in Contemplative Studies
In this four-year program for medical students (taken during degree as one of the possible Scholarly Concentrations), students develop an experiential and scientific understanding of contemplative practice and its uses in a clinical context.

Duke University Medical School: Duke Integrative Medicine
Courses are offered in which students learn the science behind mind-body therapies and develop stress management and self-care skills for themselves and their patients, such as through Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

Georgetown University School of Medicine: Mind Body Medicine Program
Integrated into the medical school curriculum, this course teaches a theoretical and experiential understanding of mind-body approaches to health care, including mindfulness.

McGill Faculty of Medicine: Programs in Integrated Whole Person Care
A “Mindfulness Medical Practice" is offered for Medical Students through Whole Person Care. It is modeled after the MBSR program, with an added emphasis on clinical practice.

University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry: Mindful Practice Curriculum
Students and residents participate in parallel curricula integrated throughout their years of study (one introductory module and four department-specific modules). Faculty also receive mindfulness training.