Wellness

For me, wellness has always been this vague word that I have struggled to define. It sounds generic and cliche, but I have always been the most “well” when I am the most balanced.

I was an internal medicine resident between 2005-2008. At the time, I had just gotten married, moved to a new city, and was working 30-hour shifts and 80-hour work weeks. Somehow, I was also able to have two kids, play music consistently, and learn to cook halfway decently. Sacrifices were also made for sure — I lived paycheck to paycheck paying rent in Chicago and I went to the gym less than five times over the course of four years.

During these years, I also watched “Avatar: The Last Airbender” for the first time. For those familiar with the show, my favorite characters are Toph, Iroh, and Sokka, in that order. The concept of balance is an ever-present theme in the show, and I had to create this balance in my personal life as well. During some of those 30-hour shifts, I felt just like Aang did when he tried to learn earth-bending — literally banging his hands painfully into rocks. And just like Aang having to find his balance, I had to make time for my family and for myself to bring my wellness back into balance. I guess my cheesy way of saying it is that “wellness” for me is like being in the Avatar state and is where I want to be if I choose!

First of all, congratulations on your acceptance! You have worked so incredibly hard to be here, so take a moment to celebrate. Not only are you in, but you got into a really, really good school. Medical school, like anything, will have its ups and downs, and it can be tempting to get caught up in your own head. It may sound cliche, but gratitude can often be the best medicine for discouragement.

You may see your friends outside of medicine enjoying the freedoms of having more time and money. You may feel homesick. You will inevitably feel overwhelmed at some point or another. This is completely understandable and very much a shared experience. But, speaking for myself, when I think about where I am and who I’m with, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. All of the hurdles of being premed or a med applicant have been cleared away, and truly everyone here wants us to succeed.

I have found my classmates to be remarkably open and collaborative. The faculty are invested in our growth. It’s so easy to explore any academic or extracurricular interests. This is what we all worked for, and I sometimes still can’t believe it’s real. Even the challenges are worth giving thanks for. Most people will never experience this path, and more than anything, I am so thankful for the people I’m sharing it with. You are joining a very special community, and I look forward to meeting you!

As medical students at WashU, we have access to the recreational facilities on the Danforth Campus as well. The main gym on the Danforth Campus is just a 5-10-minute drive from the Central West End or Skinker/Debaliviere, where most med students end up living. Not only is their collection of fitness machines massive, but they also offer the structure of free classes such as Zumba, cycle, kickboxing, and barre if you need a little help with your routine. Open swim hours and basketball/volleyball courts round out the wealth of resources they provide if you want a little change of pace for your workout.

Investing in your mental health in medical school can be difficult and is always a work in progress. I found that the most important resource was being able to see a therapist thru my WashU School of Medicine benefit plan. If your provider is within the student benefit plan, you can see a therapist with only a $10 copay, with no limit on visits. My best piece of advice would be to use this resource early during your transition period before the stress of medical school begins to ramp up. Taking advantage of these resources can only benefit you and I’ve found it incredibly helpful in navigating new friendships, living, alone, and dealing with the more emotionally draining aspects of medical education.

Trained to know on-campus and off-campus resources, Peer Advocates serve as accessible, confidential listeners for all medical students with the goal of helping students understand and use mistreatment reporting systems, mental health professional support, and other student resources. Peer Advocates are nominated and elected by their classmates, and they strive to represent and support our diverse student body at WUSM.

My advice regarding wellness is the cliché “self-care” and “balance” — this includes focus on healthy diet, adequate sleep, exercise, outdoors, socialize, stress reduction, etc. You will make life-long friends in medical school, so take advantage of this opportunity.

I’m the guy that tore his ACL one day before starting med school. Fortunately, the student health plan here covered most of the expenses of my visits, surgery, physical therapy, and medication. I ended up paying a total of $20. The office is very accessible, and it is easy to make an appointment.

They do require seeing a primary care provider prior to any referrals. The office also provides mental health resources. Overall, I have been very grateful for student health services, especially for taking care of almost all of my medical expenses.
—Micho G., M1

SHS provides students enrolled at WUSM efficient, accessible, high quality medical care in order to prevent and treat health concerns that may interfere with a student’s education and professional goals while attending WUSM. SHS is a primary resource for medical and mental health services.
—Dr. Karen Winters, Student Health Services

The Core Gym is amazing! It has everything you could possibly want in a workout space. There are squat racks, benches, machines, cross fit areas, and lots of cardio equipment (treadmills, Stair Masters, stationary bikes, ellipticals, etc). I personally live at the Core, so I can walk downstairs and work out at a moment’s notice. I really have no excuse. Other classmates often bring workout clothes to class and workout right after (and the morning people workout beforehand). The gym can be a great study break during a long day of studying. I’ve also seen some real hardcore folks do flashcards and listen to lectures as they workout. Couldn’t be me. So if you were worried about commuting to LA Fitness or making the trek to the Danforth Campus to get fit, then worry no longer. The Core Gym is the place to be.

The three Societies (Cori, Erlanger-Graham, and Lowry-Moore) host fun events, faculty dinners, and inter-society mixers throughout the year. We also compete against one another in the Society Cup, which is a friendly-ish competition held each year to see which society comes out on top! This year’s Society Cup included a scavenger hunt at the zoo, sports tournaments, laser tag  and go-karting, a T-shirt design contest, and a field day!

• My family! They’re always there to cheer me on after a difficult day.
• Having supportive friends and partner.
• Being financially, physically, and mentally able to spend four years studying medicine. The opportunities that got me here and that continue to come from being here.
• I am so beyond grateful for my peers … With all of these amazing people, I feel safe sharing pieces of myself and seeking their support. It is a type of healing I didn’t realize I’d learn so quickly, but because of this, they keep me grounded, make my emotions feel rational, help me jump over hurdles, and overall not be afraid of the hurdles that will come because I know I am not alone — that feeling is something I am beyond grateful for.
• I can’t tell you how many times I have laughed until tears streamed down my face with these people and they fill my heart with so much joy. Even small things like hearing someone’s infectious laugh when we are in Cori or a peer handing me candy when they saw I was stressed studying or the random texts of people reaching out, checking in, wanting to catch up — you guys make everything about med school easier. You would have never seen me at an 8 a.m. in undergrad, but because I know I get to see you guys, I am slightly more likely to go.
• The immense support I have received from all of my classmates, and the comedic gold that lies uniquely within each and every single person I run into. Y’all really bring smiles to my faces each and every day and I could not have asked for a more supportive environment to be stuck with for the next four years.
• I am grateful to have such kind, courteous, and brilliant classmates who inspire me daily. I was nervous to be joining such an accomplished group of students, but now I appreciate all that I can learn from each of you. I truly believe we have the best med school class ever.
• What a privilege it is to learn about the art of medicine with amazing people.
• My coaching group!
• Shared resources and a competency based curriculum so I can actually enjoy my life.
• I’m so grateful to have met some of my bestest lifelong friends here. I can’t wait to see how all of our friendships grow over the next four years!!
• IgM, IgG, and IgA antibodies
• Dr. Crouch and her concept tables
• Work/life balance
• My immune system
• Required face-to-face classes because it makes my heart so happy to have our whole class in the same room.
• The fact that I’m in med school!! It was a long road and I am lucky to have finally gotten here.

To me, wellness is synonymous with balance. I love long nights in the library as much as the next guy, but at a certain point I need to call it quits and leave myself room to unwind. In the same vein, socializing is indispensable to my mental health, but it’s a skill to know when to say no. When I’m not doing something academic or social, I like to work out, read, watch sports, and hang out with my cat. What I love about our class is that for every interest I have, there’s a group of people who love it even more than me.

For me, wellness is a balance between the different parts of my life. My aim is to be the best student I can be, but in order to do that, I need to maintain my physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. That means making room for exercise, church, and time with my S/O or friends. Part of that is planning out my weekdays in a way that ensures I have my work done by Saturday, so I can have Sundays off for these other aspects of my life. It’s difficult, but doable, and has helped me enjoy medical school.

The definition of wellness has changed for me throughout high school and my undergraduate education, and it is now adjusting to how I incorporate it through medical school. As a fairly extroverted and sociable person, I had to learn when I needed a moment to recharge and spend some time at home. Currently, wellness is finding that balance between wanting to be with my friends and classmates and having solo time to read or play the piano … of course, while balancing the time to study! Each person has their own formula for positive mental health, and I would recommend solidifying that before school starts so that you have something to fall back on when things get stressful or overwhelming. Whether it’s decompressing each night with a group of friends or curling up at home to watch an episode of a show, your definition of wellness is your own, and it is more than okay to have to change that regimen as you begin your medical school journey!

As an emergency physician who has spent the past twenty-one years at a large-volume, Level 1 trauma center, I am frequently asked by students why I don’t seem burned out and why I seem to enjoy my work as much as I did when I started my training. They frequently ask if the pressure of stressful situations and the constant exposure to critically ill patients, trauma, and, sometimes, death ever wear me down. Well, honestly, sometimes it does. But that feeling soon passes. Ultimately, I end up asking myself the same question that I’ve asked many of you when you applied to WashU. Why do you want to be a physician? Because as you move along in your career the answer to this question will be filled not by the things you hope to achieve but by things you HAVE achieved. So now, when I ask myself this question, I am flooded by memories of successful outcomes and of the lives I, and our incredible multidisciplinary team of caregivers, have had the privilege of touching. It’s these memories that have kept me coming back for more and make me excited about each new day.

As first-year medical students, you know that you have many challenges ahead of you. At times along the way you will be tired, burned out, and ready to get to the destination of someday being done with your training. But rest assured, the time and effort you’re putting forth both now and in the future will be one of the most rewarding and memorable periods in your lives, and the purpose of all your hard work — making a real difference in the lives of others — will be worth the sacrifice. You too will have experiences that are going to reassure you that you’ve made the right decision, experiences that will keep you motivated and passionate about your life in medicine, experiences that will keep you coming back for more. So, get excited! The best part is coming!