The checklist

This checklist provides guidance to medical schools on measures that can be implemented to protect and promote student welfare. It is to be used alongside the BMA wellbeing charter.

Structure

The organisation should:

• have an elected welfare officer formally reporting to the senior leadership board or committee of the school and feeding into the appropriate university wellbeing oversight reporting processes
• provide adequate rest and changing facilities in any new refurbishments and campus build projects
• ensure there are affordable and accessible parking facilities around the university
• maintain an accessible and streamlined process for students to submit and claim back travel expenses for clinical placements
• incorporate protected mealtimes into clinical placement schedules ensure students have easy access to psychological support services.

Self actualisation 

The organisation should:

• create a peer-to-peer mentorship programme for all interested students, especially for those entering their first year of university
• ensure final year medical students feel adequately supported and prepared for the transition to Foundation Year 1 by providing adequate resources and support services
• ensure all medical students can access all parts of the clinical site needed for their placements, including the use of trust software.

Feedback

The organisation should:

• create measures for students to provide continuous feedback on their experiences of the curriculum and clinical placements (with the option to anonymise) to facilitate plans of action for any identified issues
• provide voluntary wellbeing sessions (eg Balint groups, confidential wellbeing drop-in sessions and reflective practice sessions)
• ensure students are aware of the structures in place, both internal and external to the organisation, that support students’ physical and mental wellbeing
• ensure students are aware of the university support available for students SpLDs and ADHD.

Workload

The organisation should:

• commit to annual reviews of student work intensity at all stages of the course and ensure it is reasonable
• incorporate an agreed period of designated protected study time per week into the student timetable.

Medical schools welfare provision survey

Following on from the success of our checklist, in 2024 we surveyed over 500 medical students about their experiences and looked into the discrepancies in student wellbeing support services offered by medical schools across the country. Read the full report and a summary of the key findings.