Medical Student Wellness
If you are interested in learning more about what you can do to have a better quality of life while in medical school, please continue reading…. The stressors and turbulence of medical school do not need to be summarized here—you know what they are. What many students don’t realize is that resources are available from multiple sources, and some without leaving the comfort of your own PDA.
Why not start now to take care of yourself the way you hope to take care of patients one day ? AMSA seems to agree that medical student well-being and quality of life are priorities:
www.amsa.org/well/
Here are a few resources, organized by subject:
Stress Management:
Have you ever wondered if a brief escape from the ‘real world’ could be possible ? For those interested in practicing complementary/integrative medicine in your own life, this is a good place to start.
http://www.mindfulnesstapes.com/
www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-management/MY00435
If you prefer to read a simple yet useful text on the subject, consider
http://www.amazon.com/Relaxation-Stress-Reduction-Workbook/dp/1572242140
Positive Psychology:
Most of you have heard of Martin Seligman’s ‘Learned Helplessness’ Theory of Depression, but in the past ten years or so, Seligman and his colleagues have turned their attention to positive psychology—how to identify the good things that we do and develop resilience.
http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx
Alcohol Intake:
Most people use their friends as the barometer by which their own behavior is measured (“I drink less than all my friends” ; “Compared to what those guys have, this is nothing”). To educate yourself about national guidelines on alcohol use, please see the references below—and try to measure yourself against these guidelines vs. those around you. Your body and your mind will be grateful.
http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/3rduspstf/alcohol/alcomisrs.htm (Under ‘Clinical Considerations’)
http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/
Exercise:
If you started medical school with exercise as part of your life, and have maintained it, you know what we’re talking about….When you’re looking for a healthy way to manage the occasional frustrations (!) that are part of medical school, consider the treadmill. When was the last time that you took advantage of your free membership to the beautiful UIC exercise facility ?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression-and-exercise/MH00043
Thanks for reading!
This website will be updated periodically, but if you have suggestions for resources, or questions, please contact Dr. Devens at mdevens@uic.edu or 6-0137.
If you’d like a consultation with Dr. Devens to discuss a personal issue, feel free to contact her for that reason as well. Please note that I am not in a position where I would evaluate you academically as medical students. All such consultations are extremely confidential (the records do not go into Powerchart). In addition, medical students are now afforded the same 'VIP'status as University employees with regard to the electronic medical record. This means that whenever a medical student chart is opened, a warning is given that if the person opening the chart is not directly involved in the student's care, the chart should be closed immediately.
Maria Devens, Ph.D., ABPP is a Diplomate in Clinical Health Psychology and is the Behavioral Scientist for the Department of Family Medicine at UIC. Her practice is located in the Family Medicine Center, 722 W. Maxwell St.