therapist and it ’ s nice to discuss how you ’ re doing with someone and approach problems knowing you have someone neutral to talk to ,” Modi said . “ As doctors , we tend to be hard on ourselves — and no matter how smart we think we are , we all face difficulties . The FSAP program helps us understand ourselves , and , more importantly , it helps us to be kind to ourselves .”
In addition to connecting with a mental health professional , residents also get protected time to establish a relationship with a primary care provider to ensure physical well-being enhances mental well-being . Protected time for appointments also applies to dentist and therapist visits , no sick time or vacation hours need to be used .
To round out the program with internal support , the WVU Department of Medicine also provides the opportunity to connect with department faculty members to discuss a myriad of topics during monthly humanism meetings . Subjects surround non-clinical challenges , such as bad or unexpected outcomes or deaths , microaggressions and bias , imposter syndrome , and more .
Sleep and downtime also rank as priorities for the program . During elective rotations , residents get weekends off and there are no longer 24-hour call schedules , allowing residents to reset as needed .
Similar mental health support programs are in place for undergraduate and graduate students as well as students in a professional program , such as occupational therapy , physical therapy , and audiology .
The WVU Health Sciences Center ( HSC ), while in Morgantown , isn ’ t connected to the downtown or Evansdale campuses . Students can still funnel in and travel back and forth , but sometimes it presents its own challenges in connecting to established resources , especially for students who have all their classes at HSC .
That ’ s where the BeWell program fills in . BeWell is a satellite office of the Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services and offers a variety of services , including individualized care and assessment , counseling , workshops , outreach , and referrals for all students enrolled in health sciences majors .
The staff at BeWell understand those who choose a helping profession are at a greater risk of burnout than the rest of the population and encourage students to integrate wellness and self-care that can act as burnout prevention in their careers .
Not only is there a clinic on-site at the HSC to provide access , but it has increased its capacity for telehealth visits for students as well .
To learn more about wellness programs and other WVU School of Medicine programs , visit medicine . hsc . wvu . edu .
Image : WVU Photo .
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West Virginia Medical Journal • March 2022 • 57