With mental health efforts becoming a rising issue both within the medical world and the public eye, every population is being examined -- Michigan's large base of medical students no exception. MSMS' Board Student Representative Alec Harris recently spoke about the importance of MSMS' adoption of Resolution 48-14.

Resolution 48-14 states:

That MSMS openly support medical students seeking assistance for mental health issues during their medical school years; and

That MSMS work with the medical schools in Michigan to assure that treatment for mental health issues not jeopardize consideration for residency match.

"Mental health in medical education is important. We are taught early in our medical education to care for the body and mind of patients. We spend a considerable amount of time training to ensure to prepare to take on the stresses and difficulties that come with providing medical care to others. However, many students never learn how to apply those same concepts to themselves.

There are unique challenges that medical students face that go unseen by most of the general population. From countless hours of studying for exam, to ensuring that our CVs and step exams are near perfection to ensure that, come match day, we are not on the outside, looking in, medical students often put an exorbitant amount of stress on themselves to strive for perfection. This can be a challenge for many medical students that may want to speak with medical professionals regarding their mental health. Do we seek the help we need, or do we keep everything bottled up in order to live up our own idea of a perfect medical student?

That is why MSMS support for the resolution was and remains key. Support for the resolution sends the message to students that the MSMS and the greater medical community understands the struggle medical students are facing and supports their rights to seek mental health. It is a reminder to medical students that they should not fear repercussions related to seeking any mental health support they need. To have support for medical student mental health not only protects individual students, but protects the future of the field."