While they’re learning to look after others, they don’t always look after themselves. That's why a group of Western University medical students has launched a new campaign to improve mental health among students.

The main part of the campaign is a website that helps students cope with everything from life skills to improving personal wellness.

"There’s a lot of stress in medical training and if you look at the literature, there’s high rates of depression and other issues,” says one of the campaign organizers, Kevin Dueck.

Another organizer, Julian Surujballi, says taking care of oneself is important.

“I think medical school does a really good job of teaching you how to take care of other people, but it’s not so easy to figure out how to take care of yourself and that is a message we’re trying to get across.”

The team created the website, named “Vitals” to troubleshoot potential problems and help with coping.

"People are moving away from home for the first time and learning to cook can be a big thing when you’re spending 10 hours a day studying.

Since the website launched, reaction has been favourable and it’s in first place for a mental health student competition.

“There’s been overwhelming support for the project, currently we're in first place with a popular vote with almost 22,000 votes and it’s been fantastic,” says Surujballi.

While the website was designed and intended for Schulich medical students, the people behind it are excited by the possibility it could be adapted for other medical schools.

"Everyone is dealing with similar pressures. So if you swap out things like where the parking lot is or where the grocery store is, it’s something people can use as a template,” Surujballi says.