Resident Wellness

Residents have monthly wellness sessions during protected didactic time. There are wellness residents who serve on the curriculum committee to specifically address this need. We emphasize a multi-modal approach to resident wellbeing. Monthly sessions may include group therapy with a faculty psychiatrist, narrative medicine, guided mindfulness, acts of service, group fitness (dance class, yoga, etc), protected time to go to appointments, or simply games on the lawn to enjoy nice weather.

Residents also often participate in regular extracurricular activities such as sports and exercise, music, and the arts.

Annual Resident Retreat

One of the most anticipated days of the residency program is our annual Resident Retreat. The morning starts off with an in-depth exploration of an education topic. Our past topics include: Breaking Bad News, The Business of Medicine, Residents-as-Teachers, and the United States Health Care System. The afternoon is devoted to a fun, interactive team-building activity. Our past activities have included a scavenger hunt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a culinary challenge, games at Chelsea Piers, and a scavenger hunt at Grand Central Station.

Artful OBservation

We have launched a new educational initiative in the department called Artful OBservation. Artful OBservation is designed to celebrate the unique artistic excellence in visual arts, music, narrative medicine, and theater that is all around us in New York City. Medical Humanities, which provides the inspiration for Artful OBservation, is defined by the National Library of Medicine as the “intersection of medicine and humanistic disciplines such as philosophy, religion, literature, and the fine and performing arts.” We believe the arts provide an opportunity for physicians to engage in shared experiences, with the potential to increase wellbeing and decrease burnout among the larger community.  We have improved physician well-being and community building within our own department through the Artful OBservation initiative.