Wellness committee

Residents enjoying the Spring Cardinal’s Game

This resident led committee aims to facilitate resident wellness through campus socialization, resident mentorship and appreciation, self-care, and community service in collaboration with the advocacy committee.

Current efforts

  • Peer-mentorship program between incoming interns and senior residents to ease transition into residency
  • One Wellness Day each semester for residents to be excused from clinical duties.
  • Annual department-wide holiday party for all residents and their families (all trainees are excused from their clinical duties to attend)
  • Annual department-wide Cardinals baseball game for all residents and COPE preceptors (all trainees are excused from their clinical duties to attend).
  • Monthly residency-wide happy hours and activities including game nights, field days, tie dye parties and autumnal bonfires
  • Other activities: pet therapy, advocacy-driven projects such as adopt-a-family, and more!

Residency houses

Residents are split into three houses named after St Louis parks: Tower Grove Park House, Forest Park House and Lafayette Park House. Each resident is placed into the same house as their peer mentor. Each house is led by a chief, rising chief, coordinator, and a few faculty members. Points are awarded to each house for various things throughout the year such as presenting at conferences, publishing a paper, and for the kudos they receive.

Resiliency & wellness curriculum

Once monthly Wellness noon conferences throughout residency. Conferences range from talks by visiting faculty know in the field of physician wellness to pet therapy sessions for resident. Below are examples of conferences from our wellness curriculum.

  • Regular debriefs on patient deaths with the palliative care team and normalization of secondary trauma
  • Prevention of burnout and building resiliency during residency
  • Arts and crafts
  • Pet therapy for residents

Group debriefs with GME counselors

We offer all residents opt-out group debriefs with GME counselors. Each resident is assigned a small group within their class which remains the same for each session. These sessions allow for a safe space for residents to discuss shared experiences with a GME counselor.

Retreats

Intern retreat

Yearly 2-day retreat each fall for all interns to bond and relax at a resort near St. Louis. Led by the chief residents, the retreat aims to better peer-to-peer collaboration and improve stress management.

Senior retreat

Yearly 1-day retreat in the spring for all second and third year residents to participate. Focuses on development of leadership and resiliency skills, as well as camaraderie and relaxation.

WU/BJC wellness resources

GME counseling services

The WashU GME offers free and confidential counseling to all residents, as well as referral to a psychiatry team as needed. This includes individual counseling, group debriefs, support groups, education workshops, and consultations. The counselors are easily accessible in Northwest Tower located in the administrative building on the medical campus.

GME wellness committee

A few residents represent Pediatrics each year the GME-wide wellness committee that is directed by our own PICU attending, Jennifer Duncan. The focus is to facilitate collaboration amongst programs and make resources widely available across all WashU residency programs.

THRIVE by BJC

BJC wants all of their team members to THRIVE: physically, emotionally, socially and financially. THRIVE offers a comprehensive array of resources and opportunities designed to support your total well-being, including free self-care resources for health care workers, community resources, virtual exercise classes, resiliency activities and resources, discounts, financial education and BJC connections groups.