Greetings Alpert Medical School community!
Welcome to all of our MD26 and Gateways students. Welcome back to the MD class of 2025. Hello, again to our MD24s and MD23s, as you navigate clinical experiences, press forward on your research goals, and/or fine-tune your future plans.
I love the excitement of starting something new and planning for the future, yet it comes with challenges that could include anxiety, fear, and disappointment. Many of you may be able to relate as you approach new classes, new responsibilities, new clerkships and clinical environments, and residency applications. While these emotions are normal and natural, they can distract us from focusing on our wellness. One way to deal with these concerns is to learn how to (1) trust ourselves and (2) build trust within our communities.
With this email, I’ve attached a sheet that you can use to evaluate your personal wellness plan. You can use this to remind yourself of what already works, and encourage yourself to move forward. You can also use this to tweak your wellness plan - letting go of things that no longer serve you and/or mindfully adding experiences that would benefit you in this season. Whether you use the worksheet or not, just taking time to consider what you are needing most is a beneficial activity.
Remember that you are not alone!
You have a community of support that includes:
- Peer Support via Student Health Council
- AMS CAPS Therapist - Laurice Girouard, LICSW
- The opportunity to check on your wellness or have a consultation - kelly_holder@brown.edu.
Below you will find wellness programs, information, and opportunities. As always, I encourage you to engage in the things that work best for you.
Wellbeing links
Caring for yourself before you care for others
American Medical Student Association Wellness Resources
Self Care in Medical School: A lesson from the heart
Stress Reduction GIFT to Warren Alpert Medical Students
Dr. John Kennedy, cardiologist and Brown graduate, is the creator of breathewithdrkennedy.com. He has gifted his program to you. AMS students can get a free lifetime membership to BREATHE by entering the coupon code: MEDSTUDENT
We are extremely grateful for his generosity to our community. If you use the program, please share your feedback with me via email.
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988
988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. While some areas may have already been able to connect to Lifeline by dialing 988, this dialing code is now available to everyone across the United States as of July 16, 2022.
Tuesday Morning Meditations by Med^2
Join Med^2 for the first of our weekly Tuesday morning meditations, on August 9th from 8:30 - 9:30 am on the Medical School Terrace (3rd-floor atrium if it rains). Enjoy the bonus of a sweet treat and morning coffee. If you would like to attend, please fill out this form so we can get an appropriate amount of food.
August Wellness Lunch & Learn: B.E.A.R. Training
The B.E.A.R. Project is a training run by Brown Counseling and Psychological Services to help members of our community identify and support students in distress. This training will be presented by Corey Martin Fitzgerald, M.Ed., LMHC (he/him/his) on August 17, 2022. Join us in person (LH160) for a "watch party" or via Zoom. To join in person and receive lunch, please register by August 10.
https://brown.zoom.us/j/96616591451
Yoga at the Medical School
Acquire flexibility and a sense of well-being through classical yoga postures. Improve your concentration and enjoy mental peace and tranquility through relaxation techniques. Breathe better to renew energy and vitality. All fitness levels are encouraged. August 23, 2022 from 6 -7pm Instructor: Maya Taylor
Please Register. The class size is limited to 15 individuals. If you register and are no longer able to attend, please email me.
Trauma-Focused Panel Discussion
This virtual hybrid session (in person & Zoom option) on August 30th at 6 pm will focus on the importance of addressing personal trauma for healthcare providers. Our panel of experts includes Dr. LG Ward, Dr. Lindsay Orchowski, and Dr. Tanya Thomas. Participants may submit anonymous questions before the session. Food will be provided. Register by August 22nd for this event.
Dr. LG Ward is a Clinical Psychologist. LG is a Research Scientist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and the Center for Preventive and Behavioral Medicine as well as the Women’s Medicine Collaborative of the Miriam Hospital.
Lindsay Orchowski Ph.D. is an Associate Professor (Research) in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at AMS, and Staff Psychologist within the Adult Outpatient Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health within Lifespan’s Physician Group. She has served as the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for AMS, and her research focuses on the development and evaluation of sexual assault prevention programs. She serves as a research mentor for postdoctoral fellows and medical students and is the Co-Director of the Research to Practice and Policy Core of the Rhode Island Hospital Injury Prevention COBRE.
Tanya Thomas, MD, Clinical Instructor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, was honored in July with a National Silver Award in the American Society of Business Publication Editors' 2022 Azbee Awards. Thomas, a columnist for MDedge since 2019 who has contributed to the website since 2012, earned this honor for her piece titled, "Shedding the Super Doctor Myth."
September Wellness Lunch & Learn: Thriving vs. Surviving by Dr. Richman
Dr. Olivia Richman is a Family Medicine resident, speaker, content creator on YouTube, and author of “The Thriver's Guide to Medical School". Dr. Richman experienced firsthand what it was like to struggle in medical school and how isolating and lonely it can be. However, even though the struggle was real and the failures were painful, she luckily had “mental health hacks'' - which she learned through her decade-plus journey of personal growth and development seminars, therapy, and life coaching - that helped turn those challenging setbacks into powerful comebacks. Dr. Richman shares vulnerable and personal life stories, as well as expert opinions in each chapter about life in medical school and how to bounce back.
Join us in person (LH160) for a "watch party" or via Zoom on Sept 7th @ 12noon. To join in person and receive lunch, please register by August 29th.
**The first 10 people to register will receive a copy of Dr. Richman’s book “The Thriver’s Guide to Medical School.”**
BWell On the Go Station - Tools to stay healthy & thrive at Brown
This station provides health empowerment resources for easy access to tools for wellness and self-care. Supplies are restocked once per week while classes are in session. The station for the medical school is located in room 142.
Behaviors Supporting Mental Health (BSMH) Project
The BSMH project was started by medical students with the mission to raise awareness of the importance of behavioral health, providing communities with tools to develop healthy coping skills to improve or maintain strong mental health. Topics we aim to tackle are the effects of behavior on mental health in regards to relationships, school, career, and more. Please visit the website and make use of these great resources which include resources for medical students and physicians, a podcast, a Tarrant County Physician Magazine article, and a Twitter account.
SHC Peer Counseling
Student Health Council (SHC) is excited to open the application to request a peer counselor for any incoming student who feels they might benefit. (The application is open to current students, as well!) The role of a peer counselor is to provide supplemental support and to help connect students with resources (not to serve as or replace professional counseling). The role of an SHC mentor is to provide support to promote wellness and manage your mental health as you adapt to medical school. Past topics for which students have requested to have a peer counselor include medication switches during medical school, managing anxiety/depression during the transition to medical school, and questions about the process of starting care with therapists and psychiatrists either at Brown or in the community. This is not a program designed to provide academic support/career development.
If you are interested in being paired with an SHC mentor, please fill out this form (you need to be logged in with your Brown email to access the form). Only the M4 chair Johanna Suskin and Dr. Holder have access to the responses to the form. Feel free to reach out to studenthealthcouncil@brown.edu with any questions or concerns!
Wellness Checks
Wellness checks represent a wellness effort by the Alpert Medical School Office of Student Affairs to give every first-year medical student an opportunity for a brief conversation, just 15 minutes, about mental health & wellness. Medical school is an exciting but challenging experience. Research demonstrates that medical students experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, burnout, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts than the general population and that students sometimes have a difficult time reaching out for support. AMS is committed to taking active steps to address this stigma and offer support to medical students.
Wellness Checks are brief assessments. They are not considered mental health treatment or psychotherapy. These meetings are confidential and will not be shared with the medical school administration. Wellness Checks are performed by AMS Chief Wellness Officer, Dr. Kelly D. Holder, who is a licensed clinical psychologist.
We are currently working on scheduling opt-out wellness checks for all of our incoming medical students (MD26). These appointments will be scheduled for you, and you will receive a personal email with details within your first few weeks at AMS. All other AMS students may request a Wellness Check during the fall semester. Information for those who want to opt-in to this program will go out via email in September.
Warren Alpert Medical School Wellness Activities:
Check out the Wellness Calendar. There you will find meditations organized by Med^2, wellness workshops hosted by SHC, and Self-Care Sundays journal prompts submitted by Becca Berube. Please reach out to our student group leaders if you have any questions or want to be involved.
Warren Alpert Medical School Wellness App:
Wellness programs and updates are located in this one location. Follow this link on a mobile device to install: https://my.yapp.us/F6K2BP (Additional directions are located here. The app ID is F6K2BP)