What is the Phoenix Society?

Goals

The Phoenix Society is a student-run group which promotes mental health wellness by educating the medical student body about the signs and symptoms of impairment, including substance abuse, and encouraging use of early preventative services to help medical students achieve and maintain optimal physical, emotional, and mental health.

The Phoenix Society serves as a confidential resource for referral, information, and advocacy for students' wellness needs. The Phoenix Society:

  • provides students with information about the choices available to them for professional assistance with psychological and/or substance abuse issues
  • sponsors educational events focusing on mental health issues affecting both students and their future patients
  • are committed to minimizing the stigma often attached to mental illness and its treatment.

A combination of Tulane medical students, faculty, and individuals affiliated with the medical community work together with the Phoenix Society to achieve these goals. The Phoenix Society carefully chooses three representatives from each class who are committed to providing access to support for fellow classmates while maintaining appropriate confidentiality.

History

Founded in 1990 in memory of former Tulane medical student D. Byron Griffith, the Phoenix Society is an organization dedicated to promoting positive mental health throughout the Tulane Medical School community.