PCOM Internal Medicine Residency – March 7, 2020

The PCOM Internal Medicine residency wellness retreat program involved a night of volunteering in the MANNA organization helping to prepare fresh meals for people in need in Philadelphia on March 7, 2020. Following our time at MANNA, we enjoyed a dinner together, relaxed and discussed ways to manage stress and promote well-being.

Results/Outcome Survey
What was the general understanding of the purpose of the project/program by participants?
The purpose of our project was to take time away from work to focus on our personal wellness, reduce stress and strengthen our bonds within the residency program.

During the project/program, what tangible tools or strategies were demonstrated or taught (i.e,
coping skills for wellness and life balance?)
During the event, we discussed ways to help deal with stress including: exercising, eating healthy, maintaining sleep patterns, allotting time in your day for yourself, and staying connected with friends and family.

What word(s) best describes how you feel when you are experiencing stress or well-being
imbalance?
Frustrated, burned out, overwhelmed, tired

What suggestions do you have to increase the probability of success for the project/program for
other institutions?
We suggest that programs develop dedicated times each year for residency wellness retreats. We also recommend the use of wellness officers within the program to help monitor for stress levels within the program.

What do you intend to do, upon returning to work, that you learned and practiced during the
activity, that will improve your response to stressful situations?
We plan to make more conscious efforts to practice better sleep hygiene, take time out of each day for ourselves, live healthier, keep in touch with friends and family and most importantly not let stress take over our lives during residency.