Finding the right work-life balance can be difficult. Finding a work-life balance during residency and fellowship training is even more challenging. That is why the Nuvance Health Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME) and program leadership teams are committed to providing residents with resources, information and support to help find that balance.

It is very important to maintain mental and physical wellness as you develop as a physician and leader in the field of medicine. Nuvance Health GME prioritizes wellness to ensure that our residents and staff are experiencing a supportive, safe, educational working environment.

Each Nuvance Health program offers residents a variety of support resources including:

• Peer-to-peer support networks
• Onboarding training for wellness, health and safety
• Direct faculty mentorship
• Open-Door Policy for GME administration and leadership
• Compliance hotline

Nuvance Health and the GME office are proud of our staff and resident wellness initiatives including:

• System-wide Get Fit Exercise Challenge
• Hospital-wide golf outings
• Wellness forums
• Invited guest speakers for health and wellness, including fatigue management
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• New York State Physician Advocacy – Committee for Physician Wellness

Nuvance Health also recommends residents utilize a variety of self-care tools and resources provided below. These are external resources available for your use.

Self-Care Tools

Do you like strategies with checkboxes?

• (2014) Dimensions: Work & Well-Being Toolkit for Physicians. University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine’s Behavioral Health & Wellness Program.

Do you prefer interactive phone apps?

• Lifesum: Track your food and diet (free, with in-app purchases)
• Calm: Meditation and bedtime stories (free, with in-app purchases)
• Pacifica for Stress & Anxiety: Mood tracker with guided lessons on wellness topics (free, with in-app purchases)
• Buddhify: Anxiety relief through mindfulness practice

Have you tried Mental-Health Chatbots?

AI Chatbots

• Woebot (free)
• Wysa (free, with in-app purchases)
• Youper (free, with in-app purchases)

Hybrid models: AI Chatbot/Live

• Joyable – can access a coach for subscription
• Talkspace – can access a therapist for subscription

Do you just like to read? 

• The Feeling Good Handbook, by David D. Burns, MD
• The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, by Davis, Eshelman, McKay & Fanning
• Kitchen Table Wisdom, by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
• Staying Human During Residency Training (How to Survive and Thrive After Medical School), by Allan D. Peterkin, MD
• Forgive and Remember-Managing Medical Failure, by Charles L. Bosk
• This Side of Doctoring: Reflections from Women in Medicine, by Eliza Lo Chin, MD