Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a plethora of unexpected costs, causing students to exhaust their expendable income. Current emergency financial grants are limited with strict exclusionary criteria, with no program in place to assist students with social, emotional, and mental needs that are not applicable to these funding streams. The Student Diversity Council (SDC) Wellness Mini-Grant at the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) addresses immediate gaps in students’ self-identified wellness needs via an easy application and rapid funding. The mini-grant application is released in three cycles throughout the year and is open to all medical students. De-identified applications are scored by three independent reviewers on a four-category, binary rubric. The top 16 grant applications are chosen for funding per cycle, for a maximum of $25 each. Ninety grant applications were received in the two-week window of the inaugural cycle. In February 2021, $400 dollars was awarded across 16 grantees for items, such as happy lamps, therapy co-pays, and physical fitness items. Students whose applications were rejected were provided alternative relief funding outlets. Sustainable funding streams are needed to continue to address the wellness needs of medical students. The grading criteria and review process utilized must be reviewed periodically for equitability and reproducibility. The committee is working to build relationships with offices within UMMS that can assist students with unmet financial needs. Next steps include securing long-term financial support and aggregating and analyzing application data for common and recurring student needs.
Presenters
Samantha LyonsStudent, MD, University of Michigan Medical School, Michigan, United States Sanaya Irani
Student, M.D., University of Michigan Medical School, Michigan, United States Keerthi Gondy
Student, MD, University of Michigan Medical School, Michigan, United States Kavya Davuluri
Student, MD, The University of Michigan Medical School, Michigan, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2021 Special Focus—Advancing Health and Equity: Best Practices in an International Perspective
KEYWORDS
Student-led, Student Wellness, Medical Education, Resilience, Crisis, Grants
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