Wellness Committee

The UMMC Department of Emergency Medicine has established a wellness committee to promote the wellness of its residents through a multifaceted approach that includes education, social programming, mentorship, and organization-directed interventions.

Objectives

• Designing customized interventions that meet the needs of UMMC Emergency Medicine residents;
• Providing psychological, physical, social, and professional wellness education;
• Developing a peer support network for the residents;
• Identifying factors that contribute to resident stress and burnout; and 
• Developing strategies to help residents find increased meaning in their daily work.

Strategies

• Conducting brainstorming sessions and administer anonymous surveys to collect data from residents about ways to improve resident wellness and the learning environment;
• Developing a wellness curriculum that includes traditional lectures (depression, substance use), faculty panels (sleep, work-life balance), guest speakers (financial health), and experiential exercises (yoga, mindfulness); 
• Providing residents with access to mental health self-assessment tools;
• Monitoring residents; mental health through a yearly anonymous survey; 
• Utilizing a mentor program for incoming residents to be paired with upper-level residents; 
• Scheduling and encouraging participation in wellness events and social activities; 
• Implementing projects designed to improve the meaning residents find in their daily work, and; 
• Advocating for changes in the learning environment that will improve resident well-being without compromising patient care or education.