Medical students are just as vulnerable to the ravages of alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental illness as is the general population. Given their access to drugs and a rather cavalier attitude about pharmacological preparations, medical students may be at an even higher risk for chemical dependency.

Recognizing its responsibility for maintaining a high quality of medical education and for promoting the overall well-being of all its members,  Alpert Medical School and the Brown University Medical Student Senate have established a Student Health Council.

The goals of this council are to:

1. Provide compassionate assistance to impaired students before they are irreversibly harmed;
2. Provide help in a way that fully protects the rights of impaired students to receive treatment in strictest confidence;
3. Try to assure that recovered students are able to continue their medical education without stigma or penalty; and,
4. Protect patients and others from the harm that impaired students may cause.

The council consists of physician faculty and medical students. The council is designed to protect both the impaired student and those who find it necessary to report the impairment of a colleague. At no time during the process will the identity of the impaired student be known to anyone other than the council member to whom the report is made, the co-chairpersons and the intervention team if intervention is necessary. Other council members will know of the student only by case number. All files will be kept at the Rhode Island Medical Society building and be accessed only by the faculty and student co-chairpersons.

If impairment is found to exist, a treatment plan will be offered to the student. The Office of the Dean of Medicine will neither be notified nor involved if the student accepts and follows the treatment plan. Should the student refuse to accept the treatment plan or violate the treatment plan, the Dean's office will be notified.

Any person who has just cause for suspecting that a medical student may be impaired can and should enlist the assistance of the council by contacting any of the student or faculty members of the Student Health Council. A strict code of confidentiality is maintained by the Student Health Council. For the 2011-12 academic year the student council chairs are Wei Song and Alexandra Regenbogen. Likewise, students who have just cause for suspecting that a physician may be impaired can and should contact the Physicians Health Committee of the Rhode Island Medical Society (331-3207).

The administration of the Brown Medical School strongly supports the Student Health Council. The administration's position is one of support and cooperation.

Our desire is that students who are impaired receive proper counseling and treatment and that they recover. We do not seek to punish such students. Our hope is that impaired students successfully overcome their alcohol or drug dependency and complete their medical education. Our belief is that the Student Health Council offers the best available mechanism to achieve these ends.

Copies of the by-laws of the Student Health Council are available from the Medical Student Senate, the Office of Student Affairs, or the Rhode Island Medical Society.