The first year of medical school is a time of loneliness and insecurity. The workload is heavy and friendships have not yet developed to counteract the difficulties. The ensuing anxiety can hinder intellectual functioning and embitter the student. Innovative group meetings provided emotional support, interpersonal understanding, and skills. Participation in the groups was voluntary during the first two years they were instituted. Later, the group meetings were made part of the curriculum and credit was given for them. As a result of this program, the stress of learning medicine has been made more tolerable, and contact between students and faculty has been improved.