USA College of Medicine Wellness Program Hosts Self-Care Month

University of South Alabama College of Medicine first-year medical student Ashley Cainion participates in a yoga class at the USA Recreation Center Thursday, March 29, 2018 as part of Self-Care Month.

Last month, medical students at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine participated in Self-Care Month, focusing on their social, physical and intellectual wellbeing. The exercise was hosted by the USA Wellness Program, a wellness initiative promoting mentorship and enhancing health and wellbeing among medical students.

During Self-Care Month, medical students incorporated weekly activities and daily challenges that focused on social self-care, physical self-care, intellectual self-care and mindfulness self-care into their daily routines.

�We created Self-Care Month out of a desire to help medical students incorporate realistic and tangible practices into their own schedules.We encourage students to challenge themselves, to be adventurous, try something new each week and to record which activities prove to be most beneficial,� said Tyler Kaelin, a second-year student at the USA College of Medicine and president of the USA Wellness Program.

According to Maria Siow, another second-year student at the USA College of Medicine and vice-president of the USA Wellness Program, the goal of Self-Care Month is to give students suggestions on practical ways to build healthy rhythms into their lives that may have fallen by the wayside since starting medical school.

�Medical school is an incredibly demanding environment,� Kaelin said. �We hope medical students will use this month not only as a time to establish healthy and sustainable habits for their current day-to-day wellbeing, but also for their future as healthcare providers. Some of my favorite parts of Self-Care Month have included a personality workshop, taking a social-media detox day and challenging myself to take to explore interests outside of medicine."

Planned and implemented by the USA College of Medicine Wellness Council, Kaelin and Siow said they were excited to bring this new activity to medical students this year. �We received photos and fun stories from students during Self-Care Month and look forward hearing more about the ways they are taking care of themselves,� Siow said.

To read more about the USA Wellness Program, click here.

View more photos here.

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