Wellness

Wellness is an integral part of the curriculum in the UF Pediatric Residency Training Program. We value our residents’ hard work and understand the importance of integrating wellness training into residency. With support and role modeling from the top of our department, we created a robust curriculum for our residents that begins at intern orientation.

Objectives

1. Improve resident morale and wellness through a multi-modal curriculum determined by and led by residents in partnership with program leadership.
2. Engage residents in developing healthy coping mechanisms.

Curriculum Components

1. Leadership: Funding from the Chairman for social and wellness activities.
2. Orientation: Learning about wellness begins during orientation and is reinforced throughout residency.
3. Policies: Our program has clear policies for such things as supervision, coverage for illness and fatigue, and fatigue recognition and management. We also provide information on health care resources and reinforce good self-care and well-checks.
4. Mentoring: Includes a personal advisor for each resident as well as a class advisor for each class.
5. Training and activities:
   1. Monthly
      1. Resident-led social engagements
      2. Wellness sessions (e.g., yoga, meditation, arts in medicine)
      3. Birthday Club
      4. Business and Life in Medicine lecture series
      5. Fun Fridays (themed team competitions such as Color Wars and Super Heroes)
      6. Collaborative Professional Communities (CPCs)
   2. Periodic
      1. Institution/Departmental Initiatives (e.g., walking/step and hydration challenges, mindfulness, gratitude board)
      2. Grand Rounds (palliative care, physician well-being)
      3. Coping and burnout panels
      4. Debriefing sessions after patient deaths

Collaborative Professional Communities

The CPCs have residents from each of the three levels of residency and meet every four weeks for one hour during Academic Half Days. The CPCs have two faculty facilitators. Members within each of the CPCs hold each other accountable for administrative tasks (e.g., checklists, duty hour and procedure logging, etc.) with opportunities to earn team wellness prizes, so we have some fun along the way!

Goal

To enhance community and learning within the pediatric residency program through faculty-facilitated small group learning sessions.

Objectives

• Develop CPC individual identities
• Design CPC structures of support and accountability
• Participate in team-based learning pediatric board review sessions
• Examine various issues and methods related to physician well-being
• Review topics important to clinician educators

Well-being Topics

• Fatigue
• Stress/Depression/Suicide
• Impairment/Substance Abuse
• Disruptive Behavior
• Burnout
• Boundary Violations
• Resilience

Clinician Educator Topics

• Feedback
• Career Development (e.g., CVs)
• Diversity