Professional FulfillmentNCT06656650
Commensality Groups: A Professional Fulfillment Intervention for Medical Students in Their Clinical Years
A study testing Commensality groups in people with Professional Fulfillment and Burnout, run by University of Southern California at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Medical students are at high risk for burnout, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and substance use disorder with burnout seen as a mitigating factor for suicidal ideation. Help-seeking among medical students suffering from burnout is only 30%. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Professional Fulfillment, Burnout, Social Isolation or Loneliness
- What is being tested?
- Commensality groups
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Jan 2025to 15 Feb 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Currently a medical student on clerkships at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
Who cannot join
- Not currently on a leave of absence, research year, or otherwise not enrolled in the medical school program
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Keck School of Medicine
Los Angeles, California, 90033
About this study
Medical students are at high risk for burnout, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and substance use disorder with burnout seen as a mitigating factor for suicidal ideation. Help-seeking among medical students suffering from burnout is only 30%. The highest rates of burnout among medical students is at the end of their clinical rotations, with estimates of up to 60%. "Commensality groups" have been found to significantly reduce burnout and improve meaning in work by creating opportunity for connection and collegiality among physicians. These groups consist of providing a reimbursed monthly meal with structured questions that generate conversation for the first 15 minutes with 6-8 participants meeting monthly, for six months. Physician participants in Commensality groups maintain these gains one year later.
The investigators propose to apply the model of Commensality groups to medical students who are launching into their experience clinical practice, and have been on clinical rotations for at least 4 months. The investigators will form randomly assigned groups of 6-8 medical students with 1 resident leader. The resident leader role has been added to encourage compliance with the standardized discussion questions and to avoid the potential negative impact of a "venting" session. The overall intention of this study is to explore whether Commensality groups can increase well-being for medical students in their clerkship years, as it has previously been shown to do for residents and physicians.
- Being tested
- Commensality groups
- Keywords
- commensality groups, medical students
- Medical subject headings
- Burnout, Psychological, Social Isolation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Commensality groupsBehavioural
Participants will attend at least 3 out of 6 commensality groups over the course of 6 months.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment group | Active comparator | Participants attend commensality groups Receives: Behavioral: Commensality groups |
| Waitlist control group | No intervention | Participants receive no intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Survey
Survey containing 5 evidence-based measures
Measured: Baseline (within one month prior to launch of study), immediately post intervention (within one month after final intervention), approximately 3 months after the final intervention, and approximately 6 months after the final intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Oct 2024
- Study start15 Jan 2025
- Primary completion15 Feb 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion15 Feb 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (9)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Professional FulfillmentStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of Southern CaliforniaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Southern California
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Chantal Sheridan, University of Southern California
- Investigators
- Chantal Sheridan, PhD, Principal investigator, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaMaria Juliani, PhD, Study director, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06656650
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UP-24-00919
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 18 Oct 2024
- Last updated
- 21 Jan 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: IPD for all study participants will be shared.
Publications
West CP, Dyrbye LN, Rabatin JT, Call TG, Davidson JH, Multari A, Romanski SA, Hellyer JM, Sloan JA, Shanafelt TD. Intervention to promote physician well-being, job satisfaction, and professionalism: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Apr;174(4):527-33. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.14387.
PubMed 24515493Shanafelt TD, Hasan O, Dyrbye LN, Sinsky C, Satele D, Sloan J, West CP. Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Balance in Physicians and the General US Working Population Between 2011 and 2014. Mayo Clin Proc. 2015 Dec;90(12):1600-13. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.08.023.
PubMed 26653297Hansell MW, Ungerleider RM, Brooks CA, Knudson MP, Kirk JK, Ungerleider JD. Temporal Trends in Medical Student Burnout. Fam Med. 2019 May;51(5):399-404. doi: 10.22454/FamMed.2019.270753.
PubMed 31081911Dyrbye L, Shanafelt T. A narrative review on burnout experienced by medical students and residents. Med Educ. 2016 Jan;50(1):132-49. doi: 10.1111/medu.12927.
PubMed 26695473Dyrbye LN, Thomas MR, Massie FS, Power DV, Eacker A, Harper W, Durning S, Moutier C, Szydlo DW, Novotny PJ, Sloan JA, Shanafelt TD. Burnout and suicidal ideation among U.S. medical students. Ann Intern Med. 2008 Sep 2;149(5):334-41. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-149-5-200809020-00008.
PubMed 18765703Dyrbye LN, Thomas MR, Shanafelt TD. Systematic review of depression, anxiety, and other indicators of psychological distress among U.S. and Canadian medical students. Acad Med. 2006 Apr;81(4):354-73. doi: 10.1097/00001888-200604000-00009.
PubMed 16565188Rotenstein LS, Ramos MA, Torre M, Segal JB, Peluso MJ, Guille C, Sen S, Mata DA. Prevalence of Depression, Depressive Symptoms, and Suicidal Ideation Among Medical Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA. 2016 Dec 6;316(21):2214-2236. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.17324.
PubMed 27923088Dyrbye LN, Eacker A, Durning SJ, Brazeau C, Moutier C, Massie FS, Satele D, Sloan JA, Shanafelt TD. The Impact of Stigma and Personal Experiences on the Help-Seeking Behaviors of Medical Students With Burnout. Acad Med. 2015 Jul;90(7):961-9. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000655.
PubMed 25650824Dyrbye LN, West CP, Satele D, Boone S, Tan L, Sloan J, Shanafelt TD. Burnout among U.S. medical students, residents, and early career physicians relative to the general U.S. population. Acad Med. 2014 Mar;89(3):443-51. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000134.
PubMed 24448053
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Jan 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Commensality Groups: A Professional Fulfillment Intervention for Medical Students in Their Clinical Years
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06656650
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UP-24-00919
- Keywords
- commensality groups, medical students
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Feb 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 15 Feb 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Oct 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Medical students are at high risk for burnout, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and substance use disorder with burnout seen as a mitigating factor for suicidal ideation. Help-seeking among medical students suffering from burnout is only 30%. The highest rates of burnout among medical students is at the end of their clinical rotations, with estimates of up to 60%. "Commensality groups" have been found to significantly reduce burnout and improve meaning in work by creating opportunity for connection and collegiality among physicians. These groups consist of providing a reimbursed monthly meal with structured questions that generate conversation for the first 15 minutes with 6-8 participants meeting monthly, for six months. Physician participants in Commensality groups maintain these gains one year later.
The investigators propose to apply the model of Commensality groups to medical students who are launching into their experience clinical practice, and have been on clinical rotations for at least 4 months. The investigators will form randomly assigned groups of 6-8 medical students with 1 resident leader. The resident leader role has been added to encourage compliance with the standardized discussion questions and to avoid the potential negative impact of a "venting" session. The overall intention of this study is to explore whether Commensality groups can increase well-being for medical students in their clerkship years, as it has previously been shown to do for residents and physicians.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment group | Active comparator | Behavioral: Commensality groupsParticipants attend commensality groups |
| Waitlist control group | No intervention | –Participants receive no intervention |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Currently a medical student on clerkships at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Not currently on a leave of absence, research year, or otherwise not enrolled in the medical school program
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Commensality groupsParticipants will attend at least 3 out of 6 commensality groups over the course of 6 months. | Behavioural | Treatment group |
Primary outcome
Survey
Time frame: Baseline (within one month prior to launch of study), immediately post intervention (within one month after final intervention), approximately 3 months after the final intervention, and approximately 6 months after the final intervention
Survey containing 5 evidence-based measures
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Jan 2026.
- Background: PubMed 24515493West CP, Dyrbye LN, Rabatin JT, Call TG, Davidson JH, Multari A, Romanski SA, Hellyer JM, Sloan JA, Shanafelt TD. Intervention to promote physician well-being, job satisfaction, and professionalism: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Apr;174(4):527-33. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.14387.
- Background: PubMed 26653297Shanafelt TD, Hasan O, Dyrbye LN, Sinsky C, Satele D, Sloan J, West CP. Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Balance in Physicians and the General US Working Population Between 2011 and 2014. Mayo Clin Proc. 2015 Dec;90(12):1600-13. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.08.023.
- Background: PubMed 31081911Hansell MW, Ungerleider RM, Brooks CA, Knudson MP, Kirk JK, Ungerleider JD. Temporal Trends in Medical Student Burnout. Fam Med. 2019 May;51(5):399-404. doi: 10.22454/FamMed.2019.270753.
- Background: PubMed 26695473Dyrbye L, Shanafelt T. A narrative review on burnout experienced by medical students and residents. Med Educ. 2016 Jan;50(1):132-49. doi: 10.1111/medu.12927.
- Background: PubMed 18765703Dyrbye LN, Thomas MR, Massie FS, Power DV, Eacker A, Harper W, Durning S, Moutier C, Szydlo DW, Novotny PJ, Sloan JA, Shanafelt TD. Burnout and suicidal ideation among U.S. medical students. Ann Intern Med. 2008 Sep 2;149(5):334-41. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-149-5-200809020-00008.
- Background: PubMed 16565188Dyrbye LN, Thomas MR, Shanafelt TD. Systematic review of depression, anxiety, and other indicators of psychological distress among U.S. and Canadian medical students. Acad Med. 2006 Apr;81(4):354-73. doi: 10.1097/00001888-200604000-00009.
- Background: PubMed 27923088Rotenstein LS, Ramos MA, Torre M, Segal JB, Peluso MJ, Guille C, Sen S, Mata DA. Prevalence of Depression, Depressive Symptoms, and Suicidal Ideation Among Medical Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA. 2016 Dec 6;316(21):2214-2236. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.17324.
- Background: PubMed 25650824Dyrbye LN, Eacker A, Durning SJ, Brazeau C, Moutier C, Massie FS, Satele D, Sloan JA, Shanafelt TD. The Impact of Stigma and Personal Experiences on the Help-Seeking Behaviors of Medical Students With Burnout. Acad Med. 2015 Jul;90(7):961-9. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000655.
- Background: PubMed 24448053Dyrbye LN, West CP, Satele D, Boone S, Tan L, Sloan J, Shanafelt TD. Burnout among U.S. medical students, residents, and early career physicians relative to the general U.S. population. Acad Med. 2014 Mar;89(3):443-51. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000134.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. IPD for all study participants will be shared.
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No Condition
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Chantal Sheridan, PhD principal investigator
Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
Maria Juliani, PhD study director
Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Commensality groups in people with Professional Fulfillment and Burnout, run by University of Southern California at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Survey (time frame: Baseline (within one month prior to launch of study), immediately post intervention (within one month after final intervention), approximately 3 months after the final intervention, and approximately 6 months after the final intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06656650, which also lists 9 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Jan 2026.