Nikhil
Patel
MD/PhD Student
Wayne State University
Nikhil Patel is an MD/PhD student at Wayne State University School of Medicine and a member of the Student Senate Health and Wellness Committee. In this role, he leads initiatives to support the health and wellness of his class, coordinating a variety of programs to address student needs. His broader interests lie in integrating data-driven solutions and health equity to improve care delivery, with future plans to pursue research at the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence.
Presenting at the Nexus Summit:
BackgroundMedical school is intensely challenging—academically, emotionally, and socially—with the post-COVID shift to virtual learning only deepening students’ struggles. Nationally, medical students report higher rates of anxiety, depression, burnout, and suicidal ideation (up to 11%) compared to age-matched peers. The LCME now requires schools to maintain “an effective system of counseling services that promote [student] well-being.” While recent studies suggest student-led wellness initiatives are among the most effective, few medical schools assess structured peer support models.Med2Med…