Resident Wellness has always been an important area of focus in the Greenwich Hospital/Yale University Residency Program. Increasing rates of suicide, burnout, and depression among physicians have underscored the importance of incorporating a formal wellness curriculum designed to cultivate a culture of resident wellbeing. We also recognize that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many stressors were magnified.
To that end a resident-led Greenwich Hospital Wellness Council was established, with the following goals:
Food: Residents receive a monthly stipend for food allowances that can be used in the cafeteria. The Wellness Council also provides snacks and beverages for the resident lounge.
Exercise: There are several local gyms within walking distance of Greenwich Hospital including Equinox, Pure Barre, Soul Cycle, and the YMCA. The YMCA provides discounted memberships for Greenwich Hospital workers.
Social Events to Enhance Well Being and Decrease Burnout: The resident-led Resident Wellness Council regularly plans events for the residents based on resident interest. Examples of previous gatherings have included end of block get-togethers, beach day, hiking, pumpkin and apple picking, and movie nights. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wellness Council planned socially-distanced events such as virtual game night and a movie watch-party in a private theater room.
Financial Incentives to Prevent Burnout: In addition to providing meal stipends, and subsidized housing (subject to taxes and utilities), Greenwich Hospital also provides 6 months of free access to the UWorld Questionbank to assist interns in preparing for Step 3. .
Call Schedule: The program frequently obtains feedback from residents to adjust and improve the schedules. The inpatient teams are on call every 3-4 days, allowing several free evenings per week. Weekend call for interns includes one “grey” weekend (Saturday overnight shift), one “black” weekend (Saturday and Sunday day shifts), and two “golden weekends” (off on Saturday and Sunday) per month. This allows for greater resident flexibility in their schedules.
Wellness Afternoons: Residents are given four pre-scheduled afternoons off for wellness purposes in addition to their guaranteed 4 weeks of vacation and monthly average of 2 weekends off.
The program director meets with each resident semi-annually for which the residents prepare a self-assessment. In addition, the core faculty at Greenwich Hospital have an “open door” policy, which allow residents to directly bring concerns to their attention.
Recognizing that work and life comes along with stressors and difficulties, Greenwich Hospital makes confidential and free resources available to residents through the Employee-Family Resources (EFR).
