ISMMS Faculty Wellness Program Resource Request Form
Departments wishing to offer wellness resources to their faculty are asked to complete the form below to initiate the process. Upon submission you will be contacted to review the request and help in facilitating the scheduling. Please note that the below offerings are individual-directed, and are not intended to be a solution to system-level drivers of burnout. Below are resource offerings currently available:
MINDFULNESS TRAINING
Mindfulness training aims to teach simple mindfulness practices to physicians, which will increase their capacity to handle the stresses of their training environment and increase their overall sense of well-being. Mindfulness practices may include formal practices of mindful attention, body scan, mindful movement, and walking meditation, as well as informal practices of mindful moments and awareness of daily activities. Mindfulness has been shown in numerous scientific studies to be moderately effective in reducing anxiety and depression. In health professional programs, it has been correlated with reduction of stress and burnout, and improvement in psychological well-being. Mindfulness programs can be tailored to meet the needs and expectations of the department participants.
FACILITATED DISCUSSION
Physicians are exposed to an enormous number of stressors, including difficult patients, death and dying, the prospect of medical errors, etc. The normal reaction to exposures such as these is to evoke an emotional response and yet there is no dedicated place in a traditional training program to reflect upon these experiences. Providing such a space to have a discussion, guided by an expert facilitator and inspired by a brief reading can provide a great outlet for physicians to process the challenging events that occur routinely during training.
NARRATIVE MEDICINE
Narrative medicine practice has two primary objectives: (1) strengthen clinical practice by using art to enhance observation, increase self-awareness, and explore point of view, and (2) provide a structured, noninvasive space for trainees to pause and reflect upon their lives and their work. Workshops have three main components: close reading/observation exercises, interactive discussion, and reflective exercises. A trained facilitator guides participants through a process of self-reflection as they discover new points of view, and consider alternative ways of “seeing.” Workshops are designed to enhance individuals’ perspective and self-awareness, and helping trainees rediscover meaning in their work as physicians.