Depressed medical students are more prone to exhibit several depression stigma attitudes than non-depressed students.1 Approximately 50% of medical students experience burnout at some point during medical school, and 10% experience suicide ideation compared to the estimated 6.9% of the general population in the same United States age group of 25-34 years old. While suicide is the extreme end of the personal distress continuum, medical schools have a responsibility to have a system in place that identifies students currently suicidal, students at risk for suicidal thoughts and implement student support and wellness programs that address events outside students’ control.2 It is worrisome that the hesitance towards seeking mental health care among medical students and ultimately health care providers might lead to poorer patient care. Jennifer Tija, an instructor in Internal Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania stated, “if people don’t know how to treat their own depression, it has a negative impact on how they treat patients.”3 In July 2011, the American Osteopathic Association House of Delegates approved Resolution 205 which aims to increase awareness of depression among medical students and knowledge of available treatment options. At Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, a Health Living Unit has been added to the second year curriculum. This is a direct response to the competency added in 2009 of , “Personal Awareness and Self-Care,” students must achieve by graduation. Feinberg’s approach requires all second-year medical students to complete a Behavior Change Plan (BCP) in which students identify one behavior such as exercise, nutrition, sleep, personal habits/hygiene, study/work habits or mental/emotional health habits, set a goal, track progress and self-assess their success.4 Dyrbye expands the responsibility of medical schools as he explained that interventions such as that initiated at Feinberg’s school of medicine, need to extend beyond teaching students self-care skills and also include establishing an appropriately structured culture and learning environment which endorses student health. “Achieving competency in self-care is the shared responsibility of the individual physician/resident/medical student and the organization’s environment in which he or she functions.” A key component in turning the tide in the culture of medicine is by addressing the “hidden curriculum” that is characterized as modeled cynicism by superiors in whom perpetuate the stigma to mental illness and convey the message that only the “weak” struggle or need help. One specific strategy suggested to medical schools is to create a curriculum that builds in personal time and promotes personal health.5 Emphasizing the need for a shift in culture, Sharon Bahrych, PA-C, MPH writes, “The culture of medicine is not geared towards allowing health care providers to de-stress, acquire emotional support, or discuss in an encouraging environment various conflictive work scenarios with their colleagues. The end result of this culture of medicine leads providers to either leave their chosen profession, have professional burnout, deal with work conflict and/or become emotionally broken (i.e. having a lack of integrity, honesty, emotional connectedness with others, etc.)”.6 At Duke University School of Medicine, an online forum was started to provide emotional support to students without revealing identities. This forum gave students a space to discuss personal issues and overcome the feelings of isolation associated with depression. The postings were reviewed by the school psychiatrist. The forum received more than 100 postings in a mere ten days.6 This study was modeled after UCSF medical school’s Mental Illness Among Us (MIAU) event held annually run by second year students for second year students. While data has not yet been released regarding the quantitative effects of the event, personal discussions with students and faculty have revealed an increased sense of community that deeply impacted the students and their perspective on medicine. The overwhelming data and the resolution approved by the AOA House point distinctly to immediate action taken within the medical education community. Our hope was that holding a student-run symposium would effectively address the issue by reducing feelings of isolation and stigma associated with mental illness while increasing the awareness about the prevalence of mental illness and the available resources provided by PCOM for those to seek help. Additionally, we strive for this symposium to be a step forward in changing the culture of medicine as we increase the amount of community within our class and create a united front against the stigma associated with mental illness amongst health care professionals and society as a whole. In this report, we describe PCOM’s activity and present the prevalence of self-reported mental health issues among the class of 2014, the associated stigma, and the effect on stigma the activity may have had. Abstract:The American Osteopathic Association House of Delegates Resolution 205 recommends “increased awareness of depression amongst U.S. Medical students” due to the increasing body of research describing the rise of depression, burn-out and suicide ideation among medical students. There is consequently a need to understand mental health issues as a component of professional development. Hypothesis: A student-led symposium addressing mental and emotional health topics relevant to medical students would reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Materials and Methods: A 2-hour student-run “Patient Perspective” was held during the 2nd year neuroscience block at an osteopathic medical school in the northeastern United States. One week before the program, a student-developed, online Wellness Survey measured prevalence of mental illness, common feelings during medical school, coping mechanisms used for stress, and use of mental health resources. Immediately before and after the program, students were asked to report their familiarity with mental illness and their feelings regarding a vignette about a mentally ill woman using “Mental Illness Among Us” Pre and Post surveys provided by the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine and adapted for the event. During the program, data from the online survey were shared, student organizers discussed emotional wellness and positive coping mechanisms in the context of the profession, and student panelists shared their experiences with mental health issues. A faculty psychiatrist spoke about mental health resources, and attendees received pamphlets listing these resources. The event concluded with student-led breakout sessions at which stress during medical school and strategies for promoting positive coping mechanisms were discussed, followed by the Post survey. Results: 113 students completed the Pre survey, 89 of whom completed the Post survey. For these 89, differences between Post and Pre responses were universally in the direction of increasing acceptance and decreasing stigma of those with mental illness; all differences were statistically significant. The largest shift regarded students’ reluctance to disclose their own theoretical mental illness to colleagues. Conclusion: Incorporating an emotional health symposium into medical students’ training may increase understanding and acceptance of those who may have mental illness and reduce stigma associated with mental illness. Abstract