Survey on the current status of undergraduate education on self-care in university medical schools and medical colleges in Japan

Abstract

A survey on the current status of undergraduate education on self-care was conducted in university medical schools and medical colleges in Japan. This survey was planned and conducted by the Professionalism Subcommittee of the Japan Society for Medical Education. Prior approval was given by the Ethics Committee of Showa University.

Self-care education was defined as education to enhance the well-being (physical and mental health) of medical students. Of the 82 universities invited to participate, 65 universities responded to the survey, giving a response rate of 79.3%. Of these 65 universities, 32 universities (49.2%) indicated that they were implementing self-care education programs. Stress management, mindfulness, self-awareness, resilience, and improvement of self-affirmation were the most common topics, and many of the faculty in charge of the topics were psychiatrists, psychologists, and medical education faculty members. Although about half of the universities implemented self-care education programs, the educational content has not yet been standardized, suggesting the need for standardization of self-care education in the future.

The survey was conducted in all medical year levels, and the results showed that self-care education is given to first- and second-year medical students. It was suggested that it is necessary to provide more education to upper-year medical students who undergo clinical practice and experience increased stress. The need for self-care education for medical students has become even more important since 2020 and onwards, partly because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.