Student Wellness
WELLNESS INITIATIVES
Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine Student Wellness Program has six initiatives that focus on different factors that contibute to students' well-being.
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Physical Wellness
Physical wellness consists of recognizing the need for physical activity, healthy food and sleep, as well as preventing illness and injury or managing chronic health conditions. This wellness dimension encourages participation in regular physical activities, a healthy diet, and getting adequate rest. Taking care of your physical body will help you get through the stress that comes with medical school.
Check in with your physical wellness:
- Yoga
- UH Campus Recreation & Wellness Center
- Outdoor Adventure Activities
- Group Fitness
- Intramural Sports
- Sport Clubs
- Personal Training
- First Aid/CPR/AED courses
- Learning Community Activities
- UH Wellness Fall Workshop/Webinar, “Healthy Eating and Nutrition”
- Spring Self-Care and Personal Wellness Series, “What is Sleep Hygiene?”
Mental & Emotional Wellness
Now more than ever, mental and emotional wellness are very important. Mental wellness is as an internal experience that encompasses multiple dimensions:
- Mental: How we think; how we process, understand, and use information.
- Emotional: How we feel; how we manage and express our emotions. Emotional Wellness implies the ability to be aware of and accept our feelings, rather than deny them, have an optimistic approach to life, and enjoy life despite its occasional disappointments and frustrations.
- Psychological: How we act or function, or how we put the pieces together; taking external inputs along with our internal capacity and then making decisions or doing things.
Mental wellness is a lifelong process and a proactive strategy to strengthen our mental, emotional, and psychological resources. Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine offers a variety of resources for medical students.
Check in with your mental and emotional wellness:
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), “Let’s Talk”
- Medical Students Support Hour (MSSH) with Embedded Counselor
- Individual and Group Counseling with Embedded Counselor
- CAPS, QPR (Suicide Prevention and Awareness) Training to Year 1 students. QPR training will be held each September. September is National Suicide Awareness Month. Nationwide on National Physician Suicide Awareness Day (September 17) there are memorial ceremonies to honor the memory of physicians who have died by suicide and to continue to raise awareness and discussion on how to prevent it.
- Imposter Syndrome Fall Workshop/Webinar
- Medical Student Well-Being Fall Workshop/Webinar
- Medical Students’ Perspectives on Physician Preceptors Fall Workshop/Webinar
- Physician Well-Being “Focus on Substance Use Disorder (SUD)” Fall Workshop/Webinar
- Spring Self-Care and Personal Wellness Series, “Anxiety and Stress in Medical School”
- Spring Self-Care and Personal Wellness Series, “Bouncing Back After Failure”
Social & Community Wellness
Social wellness is defined as developing a sense of connection, belonging, and a well-developed support system. Social wellness focuses on building and nurturing meaningful and supportive relationships with individuals, groups and communities. Social wellness also includes showing respect for others, oneself and other cultures. Community wellness is the combination of social, environmental, cultural, and economic conditions identified by individuals and their communities as essential for them to flourish and fulfill their potential.
Check in with your social and community wellness:
- Fertitta Family College of Medicine, Big Sib/Little Sib Program
- Spring Self-Care and Personal Wellness Series, “Healthy Relationships”
- Lunch with Dean Spann
- Fertitta Family College of Medicine Wellness Committee, Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration
- Student Council/Student Groups Community Involvement and Outreach
Spiritual Wellness
Spiritual wellness is defined as expanding a sense of purpose and meaning in life. It may or may not involve religious activities. For some students, spiritual wellness means participating in organized religion but for other students, spiritual wellness comes from walks in nature or other reflective moments. Spiritual wellness allows us to be in tune with our inner selves. This realm of wellness lets us find the inner calm and peace needed to get through whatever life brings. The path to spiritual wellness may involve meditation affirmations, or specific spiritual practices. A healthy spirit helps us remain resilient and better prepared to face life’s challenges.
Check in with your spiritual wellness:
- Fertitta Family College of Medicine, Midweek Mindfulness Meditation
- The University of Houston, Campus Resources
Academic Wellness
Academic wellness encourages learning. Academic wellness is being open to new ideas, thinking critically and finding ways to be creative. Medical students who pay attention to their academic wellness often find that they have better concentration, improved memory, and better critical thinking skills. Knowing and having easy access to Fertitta Family College of Medicine academic resources fosters optimal outcomes in your classes. Learn more about what you can do to foster your academic wellness in medical school.
Check in with your academic wellness resources and services:
- Fertitta Family College of Medicine, Office of Academic Support
- Fertitta Family College of Medicine, Learning Communities
- Crumpler LC
- Patten Law LC
- Rodríguez Trías LC
- Fertitta Family College of Medicine, Faculty Advisors and Learning Community Mentors
- Peer Tutoring Program
- Tutor Year 1 medical students, Individual and Small Groups
- Peer-to-Peer, Year 2 & Year 3 medical students
- Justin Dart, Jr. Student Accessibility Center
- Study Strategies and Time Management During Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC)
- Study Sessions for the Comprehensive Basic Science Exam (CBSE)
- Study Strategies and Preparing for Step 1
- Fertitta Family College of Medicine, Career Interest Groups
- OBGYN/Women’s Health Interest Group
- Family Medicine Interest Group
- Emergency Medicine Interest Group
- General Surgery Interest Group
- Pediatric Student Interest Group
Financial Wellness
Money plays a critical role in our lives. Financial wellness is defined as satisfaction with current and future financial situations. Finances are a common stressor for medical students. It can impact your health as well as academic performance. Being able to minimize worry about finances can enhance your overall wellness. Financial wellness means being fiscally responsible, having an established budget, saving money regularly, and managing finances to achieve realistic goals. Financial wellness is an on-going process towards achieving financial well-being.
Check in with your financial wellness:
- Special Topics at monthly class meetings presented by John Mazzilli, M.D., Assistant Director of Scholarships and Financial Aid, Fertitta Family College of Medicine
- Fall Workshop/Webinar, “Financial Wellness for Primary Care Careers” presented by John Mazzilli, M.D., Assistant Director of Scholarships and Financial Aid, Fertitta Family College of Medicine
- Spring Self-Care and Personal Wellness Series, “Establish and/or Maintain Healthy Credit While in Medical School” presented by John Mazzilli, M.D., Assistant Director of Scholarships and Financial Aid, Fertitta Family College of Medicine
Contact Us
For more information about our programs or student wellness in general, please contact us.
Email: comwellness@uh.edu