1. Medical schools in this state may, in collaboration with the show-me compassionate medical education research project committee, conduct a single center or multicenter study or studies which, if conducted, shall be known as the “Show-Me Compassionate Medical Education Research Project”, in order to facilitate the collection of data and implement practices and protocols to minimize stress and reduce the risk of depression and suicide for medical students in this state.

2. There is hereby established the “Show-Me Compassionate Medical Education Research Project Committee”, which shall consist of representatives from each of the medical schools in this state and the director of the department of mental health, or the director’s designee. The committee shall:

Terms Used In Missouri Laws 191.596

  • following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020

(1) Conduct an initial meeting on August 28, 2017, to organize and meet as necessary thereafter to implement any research project conducted; and

(2) Set the date for the show-me compassionate medical education day designated under section 9.154. The date selected shall be for 2018 and every year thereafter.

3. Any single center or multicenter study undertaken by the committee or its member schools may include, but need not be limited to, the following:

(1) Development of study protocols designed to identify the root causes that contribute to the risk of depression and suicide for medical students;

(2) Examination of the culture and academic program of medical schools that may contribute to the risk of depression and suicide for medical students;

(3) Collection of any relevant additional data including, but not limited to, consultation and collaboration with mental health professionals and mental health resources in the communities where medical schools are located;

(4) Collaboration between the medical schools in this state in order to share information and to identify and make recommendations under subdivision (5) of this subsection; and

(5) Based on the data and findings under subdivisions (1) to (3) of this subsection:

(a) Identification of the best practices to be implemented at each medical school designed to address the root causes and changes in medical school culture in order to minimize stress and reduce the risk of depression and suicide for medical students;

(b) Recommendation of any statutory or regulatory changes regarding licensure of medical professionals and recommendation of any changes to common practices associated with medical training or medical practice that the committee believes will accomplish the goals set out in this section.

4. The committee shall prepare an annual report that shall include any information under subdivision (5) of subsection 3 of this section and any measures reported by any medical school as a result of the findings under this section. The report shall be made available annually on each medical school’s website and to the Missouri general assembly.