UNM Residency Website

“CORE 7 RESIDENT WELLNESS PROGRAM”

The University of New Mexico General Surgery Residency initiated our wellness program in 2016 (1).  The name of the program “CORE 7” originated from our residents’ belief that wellness and self-care skills should be added to the six other ACGME Core Competencies required to become a surgeon.  In 2017, the ACGME added the following “Residency education must occur in the context of a learning and working environment that emphasizes…commitment to the well-being of the students, residents, faculty members, and all members of the health care team” (2).  The CORE 7 program is founded on the Stanford Model of Professional Fulfillment ™ (3) (Personal Resilience, Culture of Wellness and Efficiency of Practice), Maslow Hierarchy of Needs and the 8 Domains of Wellness Model.
By joining our residency program you become an integral part of reshaping surgical culture.  CORE 7 is a resident-directed, department-supported program that aims to comprehensively address all aspects of wellness.  Surgical residency is inherently difficult.  However, we now understand that caring for ourselves and for each other makes us the best surgeons possible, not only for ourselves but also for our patients for many years to come.
Sincerely,
Alissa Greenbaum, MD

 Past Didactic Sessions:

• 6 didactic sessions a year with first session serving as a focus group to determine structure of the program and allow it to evolve
• Physical therapy exercises to perform in and out of the operating room
• The physiologic effect of stress and trauma and using polyvagal theory to bring our nervous systems back to balance
• Learning how to decrease tension while performing laparoscopic surgery with an Alexander technique practitioner
• “Let’s Taco About it” academic advising session
• Financial wellness advice from a physician/financial planner
• Outdoor cooking class with registered dietician

Inbuilt features:

• Quarterly wellness half days to take off from the hospital and attend scheduled appointments
• End of the year chief roast events
• Annual resident retreat day
• Fully stocked refrigerator in the resident workroom for long call days

Upcoming Initiatives and Events:

• Joint effort with the UNM Occupational Therapy school to create a curriculum for musculoskeletal injury prevention
• Leadership curriculum from intern to chief year to provide skills needed to lead teams, resolve conflict, and build self-confidence

“Let’s Taco About It”: Annual Curriculum Vitae update and academic advising session

Alexander Technique: Learning how to minimize tension in the body while performing laparoscopic surgery