Education / Graduate Medical Education / Prospective Residents / General Surgery Residency Program / About the Program / Wellness Program

Better Health, Better You

Program Mission

The URMC Department of Surgery is deeply committed to the well-being of residents and faculty. We recognize that while medicine comes with great privileges and joy, there are also significant sacrifices and often burdens. Following the principle of Meliora (“always striving to be ever better”), Better Health Better You is designed to offer surgical residents opportunity to reflect on the challenges of medicine, maintain joy in work, and to establish a network of collaborators, mentors, and community that promote self-care. Programming includes community wide teaching sessions on managing the stress of becoming a surgeon, efforts to improve the daily experience of our trainees, and additional offerings are in development.

Overview of Current Programming

Annual wellness retreat focused on issues pertaining to professional development, exploration of improving resiliency, and fun!
Volunteer initiatives throughout the year
Protected time to attend medical appointments
Healthy snacks available in resident room
Leadership development & wellness retreat (Rising 3s &5s)
Friends & Family Orientation (Interns)
1:1 Communication Coaching
Mentorship regarding interview skills & mock orals
Additional content focused on wellness, professionalism, and communication is incorporated throughout the training year.