Wellness

Resident Wellness Curriculum:

A cultural shift in medicine has occurred, in which mental health and overall wellness have become more valued and integral components of resident success. At SIU School of Medicine, we pride ourselves on incorporating wellness into our curriculum year-round. While we love to participate in the occasional yoga classes, we recognize that true resident wellness spans past a vinyasa and face mask. We make every effort to ensure a supportive and collegial environment that naturally facilitates a positive learning environment.

Here are a few things that make our program stand out in terms of “wellness”:

• Resident Retreat:
  • Once a year, attendings take over L&D from Friday afternoon until Sunday night, residents are pager-free, and all is well in the world (until the residents come back and realize the attendings have no idea how to put orders in)!
  • Previous retreats have included: Weekends in Chicago canoeing through the city, St. Louis Cardinal games and a weekend in St. Louis, and wellness/team-building retreats in Southern IL/MO
• Wellness Fridays every 5^th Friday:
  • Every 5^th week, we like to take a break from our regularly scheduled didactics to incorporate some fun and wellness into the schedule
  • Previous activities: Yoga retreats, Spa Nights, Day trips to the Abraham Lincoln Museum, Evenings supporting community theater
• Patient-Physician Wellness Initiatives:
  • At SIU School of Medicine, we believe in promoting wellness for our patients as well through a variety of methods
  • Trauma-Informed-Care training offered over the course of the year
  • Didactics on delivering bad news
  • Simulations and case presentations regarding communication skills within various patient scenarios
• Community Service:
  • Contraception and cycle control counseling at local women’s shelter
  • Sexual health and education at local high schools
  • Year-round drives for local shelters, providing access to basic needs and promoting menstrual health and hygiene