Wellness for All: Diversity, Challenges, and Opportunities to Improve Wellness for Medical Students

The discourse around diversity and inclusion in academic medicine has changed significantly in the past 50 years. The initial focus on multicultural affairs and inequities faced has since expanded; as such, diversity is now regarded as a core part of any vibrant medical school’s mission and core values. Considering wellness through the lens of diversity revealed that, depending on their background, individuals face different challenges. Furthermore, presenting the challenges as they relate to physical, emotional, financial, social, spiritual, intellectual, and occupational wellness further revealed that improving wellness of medical students is a community-wide issue. In the concluding call to action, medical school students, faculty, staff, and administration alike are offered suggestions as to how to infuse wellness into medical student training.