Residency Well Being

At UC Davis, we have the opportunity to receive top-notch surgical training from leaders in the field, but we also strive to retain our individuality and health during these critical years, with the support of those leaders. One way we achieve that is through the work of the UCD Surgery Residency Well Being Committee, which serves to optimize the overall well-being and enrich the residency experience of surgical trainees by improving morale, combating burnout, and delivering resources to enhance health in all of its forms. The Surgery residents have even created a UCD-wide webpage that aggregates all available wellbeing resources to help residents and their loved ones within every department.

“Wellness” means something different to everyone, but ultimately it is receiving the care one needs in order “to protect our ability to care”. And this is the opposite of burnout, which is when you no longer care.” -Amanda Phares (surgical resident)

We strive to achieve this through current initiatives focusing on the main tenants of well-being:

  • Mental
    • Combat second victim syndrome by developing a Peer Responder team for immediate debriefs of challenging and emotional clinical experiences.
    • Optimize mental health by coordinating referrals to The Academic and Staff Assistance Program (ASAP), which is a free counseling service available to all residents.
    • Gratitude initiatives, including prizes awarded through an anonymous resident “gratitude box” and emphasizing gratitude during didactics.
  • Physical
    • Ensure basic needs are met with 24/7 access to food and drinks, including department-funded snacks in a new resident lounge
    • Disseminate existing resources at UC Davis
  • Social
    • Continuing the tradition of a very social surgical residency family with plenty of fun and exciting experiences in Northern California
    • Combat social isolation via creation of a social network for both residents and their family members
  • Financial
    • Disseminate existing resources at UC Davis
    • Create additional educational experiences for residents
  • Family
    • Encourage the progression of life outside of surgery by continuing and improving our family-friendly culture
    • Support trainee parents through celebration, streamlining leave and return to work after birth/adoption, and aggregation of resources