A call to action: Pharmacy students as leaders in encouraging physical activity as a coping strategy to combat student stress

Abstract

Introduction: Pharmacy students share a prevailing sense of stress. Many methods to increase student wellness are pharmacy program specific and faculty driven. This commentary is a call to action for student pharmacists to take shared ownership over improving the current crisis of student well-being. Schools of pharmacy should empower their students to guide the improvement of student wellness. Student-led wellness initiatives can take many forms; this commentary will focus on a student-led walking group as means to bolster wellness within a school of pharmacy.

Perspective: Exercise activities promote school-life balance, and when initiated by peers, will naturally conform to their schedule and develop collegial support through socialization. Student pharmacists should begin with encouraging peers to engage in exercise as a positive coping mechanism. Students should lead their peers in developing activities and electronic device sharing to encourage socialization and positive coping mechanisms.

Implications: While many efforts are in place for faculty and schools of pharmacy to improve student well-being, little has been studied on the impact of student-led wellness programs. This article calls student pharmacists to take shared ownership over the student wellness crisis and find ways to intervene. Schools of pharmacy should empower students by providing supportive structures while allowing students to problem-solve and practice wellness themselves.

Keywords: Coping mechanisms; Exercise; Pharmacy student; Stress; Student empowerment; Wellness.