Wellness Program

"...Enhancing well-being so medical students can provide competent and compassionate care in the future"

Overview

The Wellness Program at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine is a student-led initiative aimed at enhancing all aspects of health and well-being among our medical students and cultivating a community of comradery and resiliency. With physician burnout at an all-time high, it is crucial for medical students to develop healthy and sustainable habits while in medical school that they can carry with them into the workplace.

Competent and compassionate physicians keep patient well-being at the center of their practice. With this in mind, a major contributor to patient well-being is a clinician’s understanding and mastery of their own personal well-being. We strive to place medical students at the center of our efforts, to promote self-awareness, and to teach strategies for enhancing well-being so students can provide competent and compassionate care in the future.

Although medical school is a stressful time with a variety of challenges, students can lead full and well-balanced lives during their education and develop resiliency through maintaining personal priorities and embracing challenges with optimism. We hope that the resources and events we provide for our students will support them not only during their time in medical school, but also serve them well into their futures as thriving physicians.

Wellness Council and Student Leadership

The Wellness Council is the guiding body for the Wellness Program. Consisting of medical students and faculty advisors, the Wellness Council advocates for medical student wellness by creating initiatives and events for students, overseeing the Wellness Houses, and increasing awareness of barriers to wellness. The Wellness Council sends student representatives to serve on other College of Medicine committees (e.g. Student Affairs Committee, Curriculum Committee) to keep student wellness in mind while making fundamental and formative decisions for the College of Medicine. For more information on the Wellness Council, contact Dr. Becky Smith at beckysmith@southalabama.edu.

Wellness Program Constitution

Wellness Officers

Faculty Advisors

Laventrice Ridgeway, Ed.D., LPC, NCC

Associate Dean for Student Affairs

lsridgeway@southalabama.edu
(251) 460-7174

T.J. Hundley, M.D.

Associate Dean, Medical Education

tjhundley@southalabama.edu
(251) 414-8166

Becky Smith, Ph.D. LPC, NCC

Director of Health and Wellness

beckysmith@southalabama.edu
(251) 460-7051

Wellness Houses

During orientation, each incoming medical student is assigned to one of five Wellness Houses, which they will remain in for the duration of medical school: House Apalachee, House Blakeley, House Mobile, House Spanish, and House Tensaw. Each House bears the name of a river that empties into the Mobile Bay, a tribute to our institution’s mission of providing “the highest quality healthcare for the citizens of Alabama and the Central Gulf Coast region.” Throughout the year, Wellness Houses compete against one another in various drives and events, gather for dinners and socials, and help foster comradery among classmates. For more information on Wellness Houses, contact Dr. Becky Smith at beckysmith@southalabama.edu.