Expanding Program Length - Addressing Mental Health

The University of Minnesota Medical School (UMMS) developed and expanded a curriculum that would help surgery residents navigate the stressors associated with rigors of clinical work and exposure to traumatic events. UMMS recruited Department of Surgery faculty to facilitate monthly debriefing groups of surgical residents. Facilitators received learning guides each session detailing content. Each session consisted of:

1. A guided check-in with standardized questions designed to help residents exercise the muscle of self-reflection in a low-stakes environment
2. Guided case discussions to help residents share reactions to difficult cases, and 
3. Psychoeducation about stress management, emotion regulation and other resilience-enhancing techniques. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected to glean resident perceptions of the residency program’s culture towards their wellbeing.

Residents reported their appreciation to discuss difficult cases. They felt valued for their identity as a person as opposed to someone who produces work and they formed new and meaningful relationships with other residents. Faculty facilitators reported that they also benefited from implementing skills taught in the sessions. Although the data has not yet demonstrated statistical significance, UMMS considers this program acceptable and feasible; they are currently working to refine their measurement system to continue monitoring resilience, burnout and empathy over time. Ultimately, their goal is to make this resident wellbeing curriculum available to a wider audience so more residents have access to resilience-enhancing techniques..