The main purpose of the club is to help medical students cope with their stress. It aims to do that by providing peer to peer consultation services. The idea is to have nearpeers who are just walking in our shoes to offer assistance. In a rigorous, competitive environment, I want to help students overcome the gap they frequently experience.
Programs for peer support help reduce emotions of inadequacy, anxiety, loneliness,
and fatigue. Every other week, members are available for one-on-one consultations.
The cub will offer assistance if they require a peer to chat to, someone to listen, are
worried about themselves or a classmate, have issues about their studies, or require a reference to an appropriate health professional. I chose peer to peer consultation
because I have seen how mental health is very stigmatized in my country Ethiopia. I'v heard stories of students who had mental stress who committed suicide, stopped
attending school, or developed addictions. Due to the pressure their parents place on them, these students typically won't speak up to their parents or another responsible adult who could assist them. Their peers and those their age are people they can be more open with. Because of this peer to peer consultation is good for them. Although this might be common in schools abroad it is not a common practice here in Ethiopia. It is, in my opinion, the best solution for a society that now stigmatizes mental health.