Reading Internal Medicine Program - Rock Climbing April 16, 2022

Reading Internal Medicine Program took the stress wall during a Rocking Climbing event at Reading Rocks Indoor Rock Climbing in Reading Pennsylvania. The residents.....

... enjoyed and recognized the need to gather socially outside the work setting to decompress. Jeffery Gold, DO, POMA District 11 Chair, attended to discuss other local POMA events and other POMA offerings. 

Journal Article Discussed:  OMM Billing , OMM Shoulder Pain, SCR for Massive RCT, TKA preop OMT

1. What was the general understanding of the purpose of the project/program by participants?

The general purpose of this social event sponsored by POMA was to foster a sense of wellness and team-building between the residents.   With COVID restrictions, the residency program has not been able support group gatherings or social events.  Having get-togethers outside of the hospital helps the residents get to know one another which in turn encourages team work in the hospital

2. During the project/program, what tangible tools or strategies were demonstrated or taught (i.e, coping skills for wellness and life balance?

Indoor rock climbing is a partner activity that needs certain traits in order to succeed.  During the rock climbing activity, the residents quickly learned to support, communicate, and trust one another in order to have a successful experience.  These same skills can be applied in the hospital setting where residents have to have open communication and trust between team members in order to provide the best patient care. 

3. What word(s) best describes how you feel when you are experiencing stress or well-being imbalance?

The top five answers from our resident survey: overworked, anxious, embarrassed, irritated, fatigued

4. What suggestions do you have to increase the probability of success for the project/program for other institutions?

I would strongly encourage all residency program to partake in a social event that is aimed towards wellness awareness.  It is not only important for residents to maintain their own wellness, but it is also important for the residency programs/hospitals to show support for resident wellbeing. 

5. 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.

Unfortunately, due to COVID, our residents have had very limited gatherings outside the hospital, which in turn limited their ability to bond with one another.  With the restrictions being lifted, our residents were able to connect with one another, without masks, and form a bond with their peers.  With the help of this wellness activity, our residents are more likely to reach out to their peers during stressful situations.  It is important for residents to realize that they are never alone and our goal is to help one another succeed in their goals.