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MGH Mclean

Resident Wellness and Social Activities

Resident wellness is of utmost importance and we approach this from multiple angles, including social and community building events, regular opportunities for processing and support, resilience curricula, improving access to mental health treatment, ongoing institutional/programmatic efforts to prevent burnout, and resident perks.

Social EventsMentorshipOther EffortsMental HealthPerks

Social and Community Building Events

  • Outward Bound trip for interns during orientation
  • Intern welcome reception
  • Beach Day
  • Red Sox Game
  • Halloween Party
  • Holiday Party
  • Ski Trip
  • Resident Retreat
  • Soccer, softball, and basketball teams (includes residents, significant others, and faculty)
  • “Drinks with Shrinks”
  • Book Club
  • PGY3 Skits (to poke fun at the program)
  • Class dinners at Program Directors’ homes
  • Parenting Support Group (for resident parents and those interested in parenting)
  • Weekly noon meeting (PGY2-4s come together each week)
  • Dinners at faculty homes (sponsored by Clinician Educator Program, Program in Psychodynamics, Physician Scientist Training Program)
  • Harvard Psychiatry Day and Mysell Research Day (residents from all Harvard Psychiatry programs come together)
  • Resident “Families”
  • Secret Santa holiday gift exchange
  • Resident Report (residents across classes gather for lunch weekly on each campus)

Curricula, Support, and Mentorship

  • Stress Management and Resilience Training for Residents (SMART-R) (curriculum developed by a former MGH/McLean resident grounded in mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, and positive psychology)
  • Didactic on Self-Compassion as a Tool to Reduce Self-Critical Thoughts
  • T-Group (weekly class process group for PGY2-4s)
  • Process Rounds (protected time for residents to process rotation experiences with faculty or chief residents, occurring monthly, weekly, or even daily on certain rotations)
  • Mentoring programs (assigned PGY1 mentors; PGY2-4s are paired with a Training Mentor, meets weekly during PGY2, monthly during PGY3-4; opportunities/support/training to help residents find additional mentors)
  • Monthly class meetings with Program Directors
  • Individual meetings with Program Directors (at minimum twice per year, often more frequently)
  • Chief Rounds (chief residents take residents out for breakfast each week on some rotations)

Other Programmatic/Institutional Efforts

  • Backup system for sick call (coverage provided when residents are out sick or have family or personal emergencies)
  • Residents paid for overflow emergency room coverage (back-up resident available to help out in the emergency room if volume is high, receives payment for this)
  • Centralized pager coverage on evenings and weekends (so that residents are protected from receiving pages during off hours)
  • Internal and external moonlighting opportunities for PGY3s and 4s
  • Departments pay for residents’ full medical license (totals $1600 per resident)
  • Academic fund (residents receive $500 per year to use at their discretion)
  • Work hour monitoring (residents average 50-55 hours per week)
  • Inpatient caps (cap of 5-6 patients on core inpatient units)
  • Vacation (4 weeks every year)
  • Conference time (1 week during PGY3-4; exceptions possible during PGY1-2)
  • Mechanisms for residents to provide feedback to inform program improvements
  • Other internal and external funding opportunities for conference and global health travel
  • Partners-wide Resident Wellness Committee
  • $10,000 per year housing stipend for economically disadvantaged residents
  • Resident-led Wellness and Social Committee
  • GME-sponsored Annual Intern Retreat

Mental Health Treatment

  • List of Reduced-Fee Psychotherapy Treaters (take residents’ insurance or available to see residents at a reduced fee out-of-pocket)
  • Policy to Support Residents Going to Therapy/Psychiatric/Medical/Dental Appointments During Business Hours
  • House Officer Employee Assistance Program (urgent appointments available after hours)

Perks/Resources

  • Meals while on call
  • Free lunch twice weekly
  • Hospital-based employee discounts (to movies, theatre, sports events, etc)
  • Discounted membership at local fitness club
  • Resident passes to the Boston Symphony Orchestra
  • Discounted subway passes
  • Discounted parking at MGH
  • Harvard ID – access to museums, Harvard fitness facilities, library, on-campus events
  • Taxis for tired residents
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