Resident Wellness

Mission

We believe that our surgical residents are the most hardworking, fierce and compassionate physicians in the hospital whose journey through rigorous training poses unique challenges to our mental and physical wellbeing.  The goal of our wellness program is to improve the daily hospital experiences of our surgical residents by increasing availability and access to resources and to enhance departmental camaraderie by hosting regularly scheduled social events.  We call ourselves the "Cutting Crew" and our mission is to Cut Well and Be Well.  

Core Initiatives

Wellness

• Complimentary healthy snacks and beverages in the surgery resident lounge
• Monthly breakfast at Grand Rounds and quarterly off-campus lunch
• Complimentary jackets and T-shirts
• Call room safe spaces
• Yearly Welcome Packets to ease transitions throughout residency
• Monthly PGY class breakout sessions with wellness representatives to address class-specific needs
• Resident-Intern Buddy System
• Surgery lounge therapy dogs
• Monthly wellness half-days for appointments and errands

Social

• Fall Quarterly Event:  Team building outdoor and leadership course
• Winter Quarterly Event:  Bonfire and pig roast
• Spring Quarterly Event:  New Orleans weekend
• Summer Quarterly Event:  Party boat on The Rez and Dr. Anderson's Pool Party
• Intern Welcome Party Karaoke Night
• Social events every other Friday
• Holiday parties 

Wellness Leadership

The UMMC Surgery Residency Wellness Program is proudly resident-run to fully represent the needs of and carry out activities for our surgical residents. Our activities are departmentally funded with enthusiastic support from our chair, program director, faculty members and the Surgery Education Office.  Each PGY class is represented equally via peer selection of a class representative.