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The first ever psychological intervention to help prepare medical students for clinical placements saw significant improvements in resilience, confidence and mental well-being after taking part in a pilot online coaching program called Reboot.

And now an upgraded version of the program called Thumos, involving small group workshops and a follow-up 1:1 phone or video call with the workshop facilitator afterwards, who is a psychological therapist, is being trialed.

The program aims to equip medical students with psychological strategies which some people find helpful.

As the study is a trial, 50% of participants will be allocated to receive the intervention, 50% will not receive the intervention, but all participants can continue to access all other support services as usual.

All participants will be asked to complete questionnaires and will be reimbursed for their time in completing follow-up questionnaires (those which come after the first set/the baseline measurement).

The 115 students, from medical schools across the UK, completed the original Reboot coaching program as part of a study to assess whether it would improve their psychological resilience, depression, burnout and confidence in their ability to cope with stressful work-related events.

Before, during and after the coaching, the students were assessed in each of these areas. , published in the Scottish Medical Journal, found that taking part in Reboot was linked with significant improvements in all areas, with fewer students experiencing depression symptoms after they had completed the coaching.

It was originally designed by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Judith Johnson, formerly from the University of Leeds but now from The University of Manchester.

Dr. Johnson adapted the program to fit the needs of medical students. Globally, one in two report high burnout, while one in three experience elevated depression.

She said, "Until now, most evaluations of supportive interventions for medical students have focused on generic interventions such as mindfulness, stress management training and yoga. These lack relevance for medical students and professionals and there is no clear evidence for such interventions improving depression or burnout among this group.

"Poor mental health in medical students is a significant problem globally and there is evidence that a significant proportion of medical students intend to leave the profession as soon as they qualify.

"There is also a workforce crisis, with projections indicating a global shortage of around 10 million health care professionals by 2030. Anything which can help retain health care professionals in their professions is sorely needed.

"We found Reboot supported medical students with work-related stressors, normalizing the anxiety which is inherent to training, providing peer-support and also helping medical students develop skills and solutions for the challenges they face and will continue to face as qualified doctors."