I'm stressed
It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed by the huge amount of material thrown at you in medical school, especially when other things are going on in your life outside of university.

Chances are, there are many people feeling the same as you. If you are experiencing stress and anxiety, especially in the lead up to examinations, reach out to whoever you feel most comfortable with in the first instance. 

Speak to your peers

Speak to your peers. Chances are they are going through the same thing and it's possible they can provide a new perspective. Most importantly, speak to someone that you trust. 

Speak to your year coordinator

The most experienced support personnel available at the ANU School of Medicine and Psychology are your year coordinators. We recommend this as an important first step to take. They can help you:

  • Develop new study plans, and give study advice that's worked for other students.
  • Obtain special consideration for assessments.
  • Arrange time off where it's needed.
  • Reassure you that everything is okay.
  • Help you find a solution to problems outside of studies.
  • Discuss matters on your behalf with the Medical Education Unit (MEU) and respective Phase 1/2 Associate Deans who may offer further academic support tailored to your individual needs

Speak to ANU Dean of Students

ANU Dean of Students who can offer impartial, confidential advice. Make an appointment either by phone, email or in person: dean.students@anu.edu.au, Phone: +61 2 6125 4184

Appointments are usually available between 10am-12noon and 1.30-3.30pm Monday to Friday.

More information about the ANU Dean of Students can be found here.

Talk to your GP

It is very important that all medical students register with their local GP.  You may soon realise that you don’t feel as OK as you thought you did. Here are all the reasons why you need a GP.
 
The academic student support team recommends all medical students develop a relationship with a GP or practice that they can utilise throughout medical school.
 
The ANU medical clinic should be your first port of call if you require bulk billing as you may find it challenging to locate a bulk billing GP practice in the ACT.  If you have any specific needs or concerns, you may contact one of the academic GPs for advice on accessing GPs in the community, though they will not be able to provide you with a direct clinical service.

Make an appointment with a counsellor

Contact ANU counselling

Free and confidential counselling is available on campus for all currently enrolled ANU students. Appointments are available for booking every day. There are also group programs for common issues, public seminars, and a peer support walking program.

ANU Online Mental Health Resources:

The ANU also has a range of online resources with information about topics such as exam anxiety, relationships and homesickness amongst others, which can be found here.

Urgent support

If in need of urgent support, a wide range of community support services are available nationally throughout Australia and locally in the ACT.

For urgent support outside of business hours (9am - 5pm), the ANU has a new crisis line service for both voice calls and texts.

The crisis line is there to help you find immediate relief from emotional distress, and crisis line counsellors can help you to safely manage the situation you're in and help with any next steps from there.

ANU Crisis Support Line

5pm-9am weekdays, 24/7 weekends and public holidays

Phone (voice calls only): 1300 050 327

SMS Text message service:  0488 884 170

The ANU Crisis Support Line is managed by the Division of Student Life and is a SSAF funded project