Peer Support

Welcome to Medline, a peer support for UBC med students by UBC med students! We are a free confidential service where you can talk one-on-one to a peer supporter, which is a fellow medical student trained to listen to and support you!

 

You can talk about whatever’s on your mind – school, burnout, relationships, mental health, financial worries. No topic is too big or too small! Whether you want to just vent & get something off your chest, or want someone to bounce ideas off of for a situation you’re in, we are here to listen, to support you, and (if it’s helpful) to share our own experiences. 

 

We are not professional counselors, therapists, or psychiatrists, and as such, this is not meant to be a longitudinal service where you meet with the same peer supporter on a regular basis. If you would like to talk to a professional resource, the Physician Health Program is available 24/7 at 1-800-663-6729.

 

BOOK A SESSION

 

When you’re ready to connect, read about our peer supporters and their lived experiences navigating med school & life in general. You can choose someone from any year or site! Or, you can just book with someone random if you don’t have a preference 🙂

 

To book a session:

  1. Scroll down to the calendar below, find an availability for the supporter you chose, and click directly on the availability to replace the text from “AVAILABLE” to “BOOKED”. 
  2. Next, fill out this intake form to book your session! 

 

CONFIDENTIALITY

 

We understand that confidentiality is so so so important. We hope the following helps you feel comfortable chatting with us. If you have any questions after reading the FAQ, please reach out to us at medline.mus@gmail.com, or to remain anonymous, text one of our coordinators (778-998-4353).

  • When you book a session, your peer supporter does not receive any identifying information about you. The only personal info we collect is your UBC student e-mail. This is only used to automatically send the peer supporter’s Zoom link to your secure UBC student e-mail. This address will only be viewed in the case of emergencies, and can only be accessed in such circumstances by the Medline coordinators, not any of the peer supporters. See FAQ #1 for our full confidentiality policy.
  • You meet with your peer supporter over Zoom. The level of anonymity is 100% up to you – You can conceal your face, name, and even your voice…see FAQ #2 for more details!

 

IF YOU NEED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT

 

Please reach out to the following now, instead of waiting for an appointment. We want you to be safe as soon as possible!

 

1-800-663-6729 The Physician Health Program is available 24/7 and you can talk to a counselor immediately, for crisis counselling or to access other support services.
604-872-3311 or crisiscentrechat.ca/ The Crisis Center line is available 24/7 and chat is available noon to 1pm.
1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) Available 24/7 for anyone thinking of suicide or concerned about others’ safety.
9-1-1 This may be scary, but if you are in immediate danger, first responders are trained to support you, de-escalate, and help get you to safety at the nearest hospital

 

PEER SUPPORT CALENDARS

(You can use the Filter function to the left to find a specific peer supporter)

 

 

 

 

FAQ

If you have any questions after reading the FAQ, please reach out to us at medline.mus@gmail.com, or to remain anonymous, text one of our coordinators (778-998-4353).

 

  1. What is your confidentiality policy?

Your peer supporter will keep your information confidential. This means no identifying information about peers, and no specific information discussed by you in a session will be passed on by the peer supporter to anyone, not even to the coordinators


There are 3 exceptions where confidentiality legally needs to be broken, but peer supporters will let you know of these exceptions, and will help you to take the lead in reporting the situation to the appropriate people. These exceptions are:

  1. When there is an imminent risk of harm to yourself (e.g. suicidal ideation with a plan and means)
  2. When there is an imminent risk of harm to someone else (e.g. immediate threat to someone’s life or serious injury)
  3. When there is any past, present, or future risk of harm to someone currently under the age of 19 (e.g. past or present child abuse)

 

When you book a session, your peer supporter does not receive your e-mail address or any identifying information about you. The only personal info we collect is your UBC student e-mail. We only collect this so that the Zoom link can be sent automatically to your secure UBC e-mail inbox. This info is only accessed by a human (a Medline coordinators) in case of emergencies (the 3 exceptions mention in FAQ #1), so that ourselves & emergency services have a way of reaching you to assure your safety. We need a UBC e-mail address in order to verify that you are a UBC medical student, again, only in emergency situations.

 

Hi Peer A,

You have been requested to provide peer support on 9/21/2022 at 11:00 am.

This is where optional notes for the peer supporter will show up 🙂

Zoom Link.

^^ This is all the information a peer supporter receives after you submit the booking form

 

 

  1. How can I be completely anonymous?

 

We use secure Zoom links that are unique to each peer supporter, equipped with waiting rooms to ensure only you and the supporter are in the room at any time.

 

  • To conceal your face: Simply turn off your camera when you enter Zoom. As well, remove your profile pic from your Zoom account. We have tested all the peer supporter’s Zoom links so that they prompt you to turn off your camera before you enter the waiting room.

    Alternatively, feel free to call in to Zoom instead of Zooming from your computer! Your face does not show up when you call in! (you will get an e-mail w/ the the Zoom link & a phone # to call)

 

  • To conceal your name: Change your name when you type in the meeting ID. We make sure not to send you the Zoom link, and only the meeting ID, so you are prompted to change your name if you decide to.

 

Alternatively, feel free to call in to Zoom instead of Zooming from your computer! Your name does not show up when you call in! (you will get an e-mail w/ the the Zoom link & a phone # to call)

 

  • To conceal your voice: This takes only 5 minutes! Download this free software that will change your voice. You can test it out by opening your own Zoom room prior to the session.

 

 

  1. How do I cancel a booking?

First, scroll to the calendar and change back the entry from “BOOKED” to “AVAILABLE”. That way, other people can book the same entry 🙂

Please also head to the booking form & leave a note that you need to cancel in the Optional Notes box – This is the only way you can send a message directly to the peer supporter! We have a policy that peer supporters must stay in the Zoom room for the duration of the session time, even if you don’t show up right away 🙂

 

  1. Peer Support might not be the best form of support for me. Do you know of other support resources?

 

Yes! We have a Google Drive with resource sheets for general & specific concerns! (e.g. mental health, academics, finances, relationships, etc.). No one can see if you’ve opened this Google Drive. If you’d like to seek out a professional & longitudinal resource, feel free to check out those resource sheets or talk to a peer supporter to find out what may be the best professional support for you.

 

  1. What is Peer Support?

 

Peer support is exactly what it sounds like – Getting emotional support and being listened to by people who are in your shoes! This is in contrast to counsellors, therapists, or psychiatrists, who are professionals. The basis of peer support is a lived experience in common, with peer supporters having gone through (or currently going through) similar milestones and hurdles in school and in life. Peer supporters listen empathetically, act as a sounding board, and share relevant experiences, coping strategies, information, and resources. Peer support helps connect individuals to existing supports and professional services when needed.

 

Peer Support does not replace professional services, but acts as a bridge for individuals to learn about & be encouraged to seek out these resources if they need them. Peer Support is also available for students to vent or talk about anything, without fear of being judged by friends and family if that is a concern. In our service, Peer Support is different from mentorship, as mentorship implies meeting with your mentor on a regular basis to form a longitudinal relationship, which is not the goal of this service.

 

  1. Why Peer Support?

 

Peer support is well-researched and has been shown to improve coping skills, increase social networks, and facilitate use of resources. It is a common student-run volunteer service provided at most universities. The Alma Mater Society has run a peer support program for UBC undergraduate students since the 1970s, which some of our current volunteers were trained in. Peer support also seems to be the most preferred source of support for physicians. According to a 2012 study, physicians ranked peer support as the most popular choice (88%) compared to mental health professionals (48%) and employee assistance programs (29%). 5 other medical schools in Canada have peer support (while 8 schools have professional counselors), and programs are also being trialed amongst physicians and residents in BC!

 

We believe the value in 1-on-1 peer support for medical students is that it’s difficult for people outside of Med school to understand what we’re going through. Whether it be friends, family, or physicians who graduated years ago, they may not necessarily understand the current stressors and challenges we’re facing, and that’s okay – It’s important that people have many different levels of support (check out our “Circle of Support” diagram below!)

 

 

  1. How is 1-on-1 peer support different from other supports in the Circle of Support?

 

1-on-1 Peer support is provided by your peers, aka fellow medical students! The value in this is to have people listening who have recently gone through, or are currently going through, similar experiences as you are. Peers listen empathetically, act as a sounding board, and share relevant experiences, coping strategies, information, and resources. As well, the 1-on-1 aspect allows for you to remain anonymous and confidential, in contrast to support groups! 

 

Professional services may do all of these things, in addition to providing formal therapy programs (e.g. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), and more longitudinal support than Medline does. They may also cost some money, although $1000 is covered under AMS/GSS student benefits! We also acknowledge that it may feel easier for people to talk to their own peers first, before reaching out to professional services if they need/want to.

 

Family and friends are often the first people we go to for support. Compared to peer support, they may not necessarily have as many shared experiences, and we also acknowledge that you may want to keep some matters private from them – Peer Support allows you to remain anonymous and confidential when you share what’s on your mind!

 

 

Thanks for checking out our service! Please leave any feedback you have for us here: 

 

Sincerely,

 

The Medline Coordinators

Davy Lau, Polly Ng, Eloise Moss, Laveniya Kugathasan, Madeson Todd, & Alexa Tymkiw

medline.mus@gmail.com