Teaching doctors to treat doctors: medical student peer counselling
Spiro, J.H.; Roenneburg, M.; Maly, B.J.
Medical Teacher 2(6): 288-290
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0142-159X PMID: 24475990 DOI: 10.3109/01421598009072181Document Number: 239402
Physicians' emotional problems need to be recognized and treated. Intervention and prevention in this problem area have been attempted at the Medical College of Wisconsin through a programme of peer counselling designed to teach student physicians how to recognize and treat emotional difficulties faced by their peers. During the 18 months that the programme has been in operation, 20 peer counsellors reported a total 1,185 hours spent in counselling their peers, lending credence to the speculation that doctors will turn to their peers for help if, in medical school, there is acceptance of fallibility and responsiveness on the part of peers.