Moderated by Carolina Restini
Session Coordinator: David Harris

Presentation 1 - Promoting Professional Identity Formation During the Transition to Clinical Rotations    
Catherine Coe    
University of North Carolina

Purpose
The transition between the pre-clinical and clinical phases of medical education often feels disparate rather than facilitate by a smooth transition. Lack of student support during transition can lead to burnout for students and challenge their developing professional identity and career selection. The University of North Carolina's Patient Centered Care Course (PCC) introduces first- and second-year medical students to the history and physical exam components necessary to become a physician. Taught in small groups, the course facilitates a safe space for acquisition of skills and unique setting to promote the transition.

Methods
In 2021, the PCC Course launched an additional experience for students transitioning to clinical rotations. Students meet three times with their PCC cohort and three times in individual meetings with their tutors to receive feedback, coaching, and peer support while on clinical rotations. Students process clinical encounters and various aspects of medicine in a safe space and share elements of mistreatment and receive referrals to appropriate supports.

Results
For the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years, a total of 380 students and 52 faculty participated in the additional semester. Students commented on satisfaction with the course and both students and faculty indicated that the program fills a unique role within professional identity formation of students. Students process difficult patient and teammate encounters, their role on the medical team, and career selection.

Conclusion
This model includes coaching, mentorship, and advising. Students are supported by faculty that they know well and who do not have any bearing on their grade in the clinical rotation. This ensures unbiased feedback and students share without fear of retribution. The psychological safety provided ensures students can learn without fear of comparison or embarrassment and supports their development as future clinicians.

Presentation 2 - Barriers to Wellness and Stress Management Practices of Health Professions Students    
Denise Kay    
University of Central Florida College of Medicine

This investigation was designed to identify health professions students perceived stress levels, satisfaction with (and priorities related to) wellness, barriers to wellness, and commonly utilized stress management practices. An interdisciplinary team designed a survey to capture medical, nursing, physical therapy (PT), and social work (SW) student's perceptions of personal wellness, wellness areas they considered most-least important, barriers to wellness, stress levels in the last year, and stress management practices utilized. The Qualtrics survey was distributed by the team to professional networks and listservs. The percentage of health professions students reporting moderate  stress levels ranged from 32%-55%, and severe stress levels ranged from 24%-57%. Student respondents across all professions indicated the highest satisfaction with intellectual wellness. The most valued wellness areas endorsed by respondents included Emotional Health (SW, Medicine, Nursing), Relationship/Social connections (SW, Medicine) and Physical Health (PT, Medicine). PT, SW and Medical students were least satisfied with their physical health. SW and Nursing students were least satisfied with their financial health. Common barriers to wellness endorsed by student respondents included Fatigue (PT, SW, Nursing) and Cognitive Demands (PT, Nursing). Stress management practices common to all health professions students included spending time with friends/family and watching shows/movies. Listening to music (PT, SW and Medicine) and Eating for Comfort (PT, SW and Nursing) were common stress management practices among three of the four health professions represented. The majority of respondents reported moderate to severe levels of stress and endorsed fatigue as the biggest barrier to wellness, which is concerning. The disparities between the most valued types of student endorsed personal wellness and the area they report the most satisfaction highlights the imbalance between valued areas of wellness and the areas that student life supports. Beyond social connection, students utilize more passive stress management techniques.