Graduate Medical Education at MCG, is committed to providing resources and techniques to ensure residents and fellows enrolled in MCG’s training programs are mentally and physically healthy and fit for training in the clinical learning environment.

Circle of Wellness displays 7 components of wellness: Physical, emotional, social, intellectual, occupational, spiritual, and financial.

The Medical College of Georgia provides an on campus assessment and counseling program for Housestaff, Faculty, employees, graduate students and immediate members of their family.

The Employee-Faculty Assistance Program focuses on problems of either a personal or a work-related nature. Assessments are provided and, where indicated, short-term therapy may be scheduled for up to six sessions at no cost to the employee/faculty. For persons/families requiring extended counseling or more specialized therapy, the program can arrange continuing care by an appropriate local practitioner or agency.

wellness photoIn addition, EFAP staff are available to consult with supervisors on how to better recognize and work with employees who are experiencing difficulties of various kinds.

Some common reasons residents/fellows may see the EFAP Office are: stress management, depression, anxiety, burnout, family and relationship issues, communication difficulties, and career/academic concerns. Services are completely confidential, no EHR records.

For more information or for an appointment, please contact the Employee-Faculty Assistance Program at (706) 721-2599 (no referral needed).

 

 

 

Wellness Committee Members

photo of Chantelle Brown, MD

Chantelle Brown, MD

photo of Aprylle Thompson, MD

Aprylle Thompson, MD

photo of Joshua Fowler, MD

Joshua Fowler, MD

photo of Robert Summers, MD

Robert Summers, MD

 Objectives:

  • Promote and encourage a positive work environment as well as a healthy work-life balance.
  • Provide physical, psychological, social and professional well-being of our residents by organizing safe social gatherings.
  • Maintain a peer support and advocacy network for the residents by creating a safe place for them to address concerns within the program and find creative solutions.
  • Identifying and preventing resident burnout.

Social Media Liaisons

photo of Dr. Chantelle Brown

Dr. Chantelle Brown

  • Instagram Social Media Liaison
photo of Dr. Cynthia Liu

Dr. Cynthia Liu

  • Twitter Social Media Liaison

Wellness Apps & Programs for Physicians

Lifesum

Tracks meals, snacks, exercise, and water intake; with in-app purchase - recipe ideas and meal recommendations, articles on how to be healthier, diet plans for weight loss, and ability to sync mobile devices to track your activities.

Noom Coach

Serves as a coach to help with weight loss and achieving fitness goals.

Cost: Healthy weight: $60/mo.; Diabetes prevention: $90/mo.; Hypertension prevention: $90/mo.

Pros: Less expensive than a personal trainer
Cons: Cost

Bodyspace

Allows user to build, track, and follow exercise workout plans; can also network with others in fitness community.

Cost: Free (with in-app purchases)

Pros: Works well for tracking weight lifting and other gym workouts; lots of exercises displayed and explained
Cons: Somewhat burdensome to build workouts

Classpass

Syncs with scheduling software at over 8500 fitness studios to search, find, and schedule appointments for classes.

Cost: Monthly rates depend on number of classes desired. Charged $15 if you skip a class signed up for within 12 hours

Pros: Variety of classes and helps accountability
Cons: Maximum of 10 classes per month

Couch to 5K

Prepares you to run in a 5K after running 20-30 minutes three times a week.

Cost: $2.99

Full Fitness

Offers step-by-step instructions on workouts; categorizes by body region.

Cost: $3.99

Nike and Training Club

Contains 100+ workouts led by Nike trainer and athletes.

Cost: Free (with in-app purchases)

Pros: Can customize based on type of program
Cons: Range of plans but meant for more rigorous activity than our time often allows

Pocket Yoga

Guides user through yoga routines with breathing instructions; varying session lengths.

Cost: $2.99

Pros: Effective for beginners
Cons: Poses modeled by cartoons; small number of routines

Sleep Cycle

Analyzes sleep cycle and wakes you up during lightest sleep phase

Cost: Free

Pros: Helps those with non-regular sleep patterns
Cons: Has to be plugged in all night; phone has to be in close proximity; easy to hit snooze

Spotify Running

Matches music to the tempo of your running pace and previous music preferences.

Cost: Free

Pros: Can manually change tempo
Cons: Does not play entire songs and blends songs

Strava

Tracks exercise - more geared to running and biking.

Cost: Free (with in-app purchases)

Pros: Great community to join; user friendly and integrates well with other fitness apps
Cons: Most of focus on long-distance sports; others tracked but less robust features 

Sworkit

Like Pandora for workouts; can select type of workout and duration.

Cost: Free

Pros: Quick and easy; can be used in small spaces while on call; does not require equipment
Cons: Can become repetitive

Yonder

Helps users find nearby outdoor attractions; can view user pictures and comments about attractions.

Cost: Free

Cons: Not as many specifics about sites from inside the app

Zombies, Run!

Encourages running and jogging by getting you addicted to a well-scripted storyline.

Cost: Free

Cons: Does not sync with MapMyRun

Breathe2Relax

Stress management tool that uses breathing exercises.

Cost: Free

Buddhify

Meditations for anxiety, stress, sleep, pain and difficult emotions; sessions for varying levels of experience.

Cost: $4.99

Calm

Allows improved awareness, mindfulness, and sleep; breathing exercises; guided, progressive meditation classes; stories to help you fall asleep.

Cost: Free

Daylio

Daily mood tracker and mini-dairy; helps with mindfulness, prompting day's end reflections, facilitating gratitude, understanding habits, and increasing productivity.

Cost: Free

Deep Sleep with Andrew Johnson

Provides 30-minute relaxation routine designed to lure even insomniacs into sleep.

Cost: $2.99

Cons: None unless a Scottish accent bothers you.

Happify

Guides users through strategies to increase happiness; different "tracks" to choose from; quick 2-3 minute exercises to focus on wellness.

Cost: Free (with in-app purchases). However, many features require upgrades that cost $5-$12 per month

Cons: Cost with upgrades

Headspace

Down-to-earth mindfulness app; will guide beginners through basics in a simple, no-nonsense way.

Cost: Free 10 introductory episodes; $7.92 monthly subscription after free episodes

Pros: Can cycle through free 10 episodes indefinitely
Cons: Cost

H*nest Meditation

Guided meditations laced with profanity designed to help with stress.

Cost: $1.99

Cons: Not for people who are not a fan of cursing

Insight Timer

Guided meditations and talks led by the world's top mindfulness experts, neuroscientists, psychologists and meditation teachers. Winner of "Happiest Apps in the World" by Time.

Cost: Free

Noisli

Mix several sounds to create a custom track to keep you calm and concentrated.

Cost: $1.99

Pacifica

Provides ability to easily track and monitor mood; provides a robust management system to help engage our emotional health and work to improve it.

Cost: Free (with in-app purchases)

Personal Zen

Simple game to help the user "focus on the positive" and "ignore the negative."

Cost: Free

Cons: Game is rather boring

Provider Resilience

Gives tools to stay productive and emotionally healthy; uses self-assessment to track burnout indicators and also has stress busting and compassion building tools.

Cost: Free

Audience: Geared toward providers for military, so some of the videos are more from that setting

Rain Rain

Plays 35 different soundtracks from nature to facilitate sleep and/or relaxation.

Cost: Free (with in-app purchases)

Sleep Cycle

Analyzes your sleep pattern to find the best time to gradually wake you up.

Cost: Free (with in-app purchases)

T2 Mood Tracker

Allow users to monitor their moods on six preloaded scales; also has customizable scales.

Cost: Free

Take a Break!

Meditation app that features two popular meditations; can listen with or without music or nature sounds.

Cost: Free

Virtual Hope Box

Contains simple tools to help with coping, relaxation, distraction and positive thinking.

Cost: Free

Audience: Designed for use by patients but seems applicable to providers as well

List Master

Allows for fully customizable checklists.

Cost: $9.99

Pros: Syncs with other device's customizable colors; ability to export and import data

Tiny Calendar

Basically an extension of Google Calendar that gives users more viewing options.

Cost: Free (Pro version is $9.99)

Cons: Not a lot different than Google Calendar; free version has ad banner across the bottom which can be annoying.

Power Nap

Promotes concept and beneficial effects of power napping; it is an alarm clock with relaxing sounds to help you fall asleep and wake you back up.

Cost: Free

Cons: No backup if you sleep through the alarm

References:

  1. www.businessinsider.com/best-wellness-apps-2017-3
  2. "Physician Wellness Apps". Wellness Think Tank Emergency Medicine. May 2017
  3. www.acponline.org 

More Resources from ACP on Physician Well-being & Professional Fulfillment