ABSTRACT
Objective: The transition to medical school is challenging;even more so with the added stress and isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic. While studies have examined medical student wellness programs, few have been implemented during a pandemic, a time of high uncertainty and change. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a novel wellness program, Creating Caring Communities (CCC), its impact on students, and its helpfulness in their transition to medical school during COVID-19. Methods: All incoming first-year medical students (N=183) were required to participate in the mandatory first two of six, one-hour virtual sessions of CCC;a checkin with 10 students and 2 trained facilitators to create a safe space for connectivity and sharing. An online SurveyMonkey was administered to all participants after the sixth session to assess program impact, social isolation, meaningful experience, and helpfulness of CCC in the transition to medical school. Descriptive and bivariate analyses, including crosstabs, were completed using SPSS.25. Openended questions were thematically analyzed. Results: 126 M1 participants completed the post-CCC evaluation (68.9% response rate). Social isolation scores were consistent with the national average for the U.S. general adult population (M=51.96, SD=6.94). M1s who attended more than two sessions (39%) had significantly greater reports of meaningful experiences and helpfulness in transitioning to medical school (respectively, 58.1%;70.8%) compared to M1s who attended two or fewer sessions (respectively, 41.9%;29.2%;p<.05). When asked about the most valuable aspects of CCC, the most common themes reported were: building connections (49.6%), having a safe place to share experiences (17.0%), and not feeling alone (12.6%). Conclusion: Many students found that CCC was helpful with their transition to medical school. Future program refinement should consider whether sessions should be mandatory, the timing and length of the program, and participant input prior to starting CCC for group placement based on individual needs and interests.