Feeling Overwhelmed? The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provides resources, such as confidential counselling, to help employees and family members deal with personal and work-life concerns, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Have you experienced/witnessed unacceptable behaviour or a harmful incident as a resident? Consider your safe reporting options.
About Us
The Resident Resource Office is responsible for providing non-academic support throughout postgraduate medical education. The office supports residents who may be coping with professional or personal challenges, and the Resident Wellness Coordinator helps individuals develop proactive strategies around health and wellness issues specific for physicians. The office provides a safe and confidential space.
Strategic plan:
Vision: We provide resources and support to develop healthy and resilient physicians.
Mission: We will become a national leader for enhancing and maintaining the health and wellness of residents. We will provide support services that ensures a healthy and positive learning environment for residents by integrating a multi-level framework for prevention and focused interventions. A holistic approach focusing on the eight wellness domains (physical, emotional, intellectual, financial, spiritual, occupational, social and environmental) will form the basis of the design and development of RRO wellness programs and initiatives.
Services
- Information and support Provides information about policy and procedures and offers confidential support during career and personal difficulties.
- Assessment and referral Provides assistance to residents in difficulty and facilitate referrals to on and off campus resources.
- Crisis management and intervention services Provides mediation and conflict resolution for a safe and respectful clinical learning environment.
- Workshops and educational programs Provides education and training opportunities to develop proactive strategies around health and wellness issues.
- Wellness program and resources Provides online resources and delivers wellness programs designed to enhance resilience and well-being.
Workshops and Educational Programs
Resources and Services for Residents (upon request from the program)
This workshop focuses on increasing awareness around support services and resources available to residents. Residents have a unique role as both employee and student, giving them access to a wide variety of support both on and off campus. The format is education based with some group discussion.
Intimidation and Harassment in Residency Training (upon request from the program)
The participants are introduced to the University of Saskatchewan policy and PGME Guidelines on Intimidation and Harassment. The workshop also offers a brief overview of conflict and disruptive behavior and demonstrates how unmanaged negative behaviors can lead to more significant problems. The emphasis is on group discussion and learning, reflective of needs specific to the program, and exploring various resources available across the campus.
October 2017. Managing Conflict and Sustaining a Healthy Workplace. Your role as a Physician Leader!
Guest Speaker: John Jacques, Saskatchewan Health Authority. Duration: ---- minutes.
June 2017. Navigating Turbulent Times: RESILIENCY in the face of CHANGE.
Special Guest Speaker: Colonel Rakesh Jetly, OMM, CD, MD, FRCPC Duration: ----- hr --- mins.
This content is currently being edited - please check back later for video links!
- Practice Management Curriculum Seminar
This full-day seminar is offered each year by the Canadian Medical Association for senior residents. Practice management is included in the CanMEDS competencies and is essential for future success as a physician. Topics include contract negotiation contract negotiation, financial wellness, insurance requirements, tax and accounting issues, and various aspects of practice management. Breakfast and lunch are provided and residents are encouraged to bring their spouses.
For more information, please contact Gayathri Manoharan.
Resources
Resources
Residency training can elicit a variety of challenges to personal and professional well-being, including: emotional and physical exhaustion, heightened anxiety, feelings of inefficacy, and social disconnection. Use the resources here to help.
- CanMEDS Physician Health Guide: A Practical Handbook for Physician Health and Well-being.
- The University of Saskatchewan Physical Activity Complex features a 13,500 square foot fitness centre, a triple gymnasium and a 42-foot rock climbing wall. Complementing the facilities are program offerings in aquatics, dance, fitness and special needs. Membership to PAC is open to U of S students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as non-university employees working on campus.
- Stoller, E. P., Papp, K. K., Aikens, J. E., Erokwu, B., & Strohl, K. P. (2009). Strategies resident-physicians use to manage sleep loss and fatigue. Medical Education Online, 10.
- Epworth Sleepiness Scale is an eight question scale intended to measure daytime sleepiness.
- Sleep Education includes everything from useful tools like a sleep diary, sleep apnea questionnaire, self-tests for a variety of sleep disorders, and “Ask an Expert”.
- The National Sleep Foundation provides short articles such as: Healthy Sleep Tips, and Relaxation Exercises for Falling Asleep.
- Sleeping Well in the Digital Age
- How Addiction and Substance Abuse Affect Sleep: A Guide to Sleep Health During Recovery
- The Dieticians of Canada provide a number of tools designed to help you self-assess your current lifestyle and eating habits including: a BMI calculator, eaTracker for food and activity choices, recipe analyzer, and nutria-eSTEP for parents.
Interactive-media and e-Learning
- 23 and ½ hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health? Dr. Mike Evans, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of Toronto
- My Fitness Pal is the perfect app for those who want to ensure that they keep their nutrition in-line. This app allows one to log their meals and workouts; as well as track calories, fat, sodium intake to ensure one’s fitness and nutrition goals are met.
- Cookspiration is an application, developed by the Dieticians of Canada, that helps you discover recipes tailored to your mood and time of day. The application is available on the web, as well as for iOS and Android.
- ePhysician Health (eLearning modules covering weight, nutrition, and fitness
- Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has a series of A CMA Podcast about physician wellness and medical culture, hosted by psychiatrist and wellness expert covering topics such as mental health in Canada, what makes a healthy physician, building resilient medical communities, physicians as patients, workplace issues, and stress management.
- HeretoHelp, a website developed by the BC Parnters for Mental Health and Addictions Information, has a series of wellness modules including Getting a Good Night’s Sleep and Eating and Living Well
- Pfifferling, J. H., & Gilley, K. (2000). Overcoming compassion fatigue. Family Practice Management, 7(4), 39-39.
- Hung, C. (2014, June 27). Fighting Fatigue in Healthcare. Healthcare Leadership Blog.
- Open to Hope is an online resource helping people find hope after loss. Its mission is to provide information and resources for people who have experienced loss, to provide a forum where such people can learn from and help each other, and to share educational grants and networking support for those whose studies are focused on improving the care of people who grieve.
- Feeling Better Now is a website designed to help individuals identify emotional and mental health issues as early as possible by providing a preliminary assessment and a set of online tools to help identify and treat emotional and mental health problems.
Self-Assessment Tools
- Oldenburg Burnout Inventory is a confidential questionnaire that helps you identify feelings and experiences you have about your work, so that you can get a feel for whether you might be vulnerable to burnout. The questionnaire automatically produces a burnout score and provides support resources if necessary.
- Mental Well-Being Screening self-test is a short quiz to help you look at your mental health or wellness.
- Depression Screening self-test is a short quiz to help you identify symptoms of depression.
- Anxiety Disorder Screening self-test is a short quiz to help you identify symptoms of an anxiety disorder.
- Alcohol or Drug Addiction Treatment Self-Assessment self-test is a short quiz to help you identify is alcohol or another substance is harming your health.
Interactive-Media and e-Learning
- Mental Health is a set of websites, pamphlets, videos, books, and other media curated by Dr. Mike Evans, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of Toronto
- CALM – Computer Assisted Learning for the Mind includes text-based, audio, and video resources regarding mental resilience, managing stress, and healthy relationships.
- e-Couch self-help, interactive program with modules for depression, generalized anxiety and worry, social anxiety, relationship breakdown, and loss and grief. It provides evidence-based information and teaches strategies drawn from cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal therapies, as well as relaxation and physical activity techniques.
- Resident Doctors of Canada offers information about RDoc and resident issues including Fatigue Management, intimidation & harassment, handover education, and resiliency training during residency.
- Physicians and research: Understanding the legal, ethical, and professional obligations
- Physicians participating in clinical research studies should be aware of their relevant legal, ethical, and professional obligations. CMPA July, 2014
Multi-Media
- Reduce Test Anxiety: Guided Visualization (5:32), A free live-streaming audio file from MIT Medical.
Associations
- MD Management is a wealth and practice management firm owned by the Canadian Medical Association. There are various seminars available for you to receive financial information once you complete training and transition into practice.
Interactive-Media and e-Learning
- Online Personal Budgeting Webinars (Free) are available from the Credit Counselling Society. The online workshops cover a variety of topics including: budgeting, managing credit, debt solutions, conscious consumerism, and irregular income.
- An Easy to Use Excel Template (for Canadians) to Help You Create a Personal Budget is available from the Credit Counselling Society.
- Financial Calculators provided by the Credit Counselling Society are freely available and anonymous to use. Some of the calculators available include: debt, loan, car payment, and credit cards; debt ratio & loans; debt repayment; and savings.
Multi-Media
- 90:10 The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do For Your Stress (11:00), Dr. Mike Evans, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of Toronto
- Bedtime Relaxation (15:21), Fall asleep more easily by following this guided relaxation at bedtime. MIT Medical
- Revive Yourself: Energizing Breath (3:30) MIT Medical
- Mindful Yoga (23:40) A gentle guided yoga practice, including mindful awareness and physical cues. MIT Medical
- Progressive Relaxation: Release Muscle Tension (11:16) MIT Medical
- buddhify2 provides guided mindfullness excercises for any time of day and activity - on a break from work, traveling, stressed, trying to sleep, or doing nothing at all. It also keeps track of your statistics and will generate a variety of graphs to display your progress. Available for iOS and Android (~$3). Alternatively you can also purchase the mp3 albums.
- Guided Audio Files to Practice Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction UC San Diego Centre for Mindfulness
- Community Wellness Downloads – Sleep, Mindfulness Meditation, Relaxation and Stress Reduction MIT Medical
- Mindful Self-Compassion – Mediations Downloads
e-Learning
- Mindfulness Independent-Study Online Course
- Getting Things Done (GTD): zenhabits GTD Resource list, Life Hack 50 tricks to get things done,
- The University of Saskatchewan Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy applies to all members of the university community including employees, students, volunteers, and visitors.
- When Physicians Feel Bullied: Effective Coping Strategies, Canadian Medical Protective Association
- Coping With an Adverse Event, Complaint, or Litigation, Canadian Medical Protective Association
- Reporting another physician, A review of the legal duties and ethical considerations for physicians to report their reasonable concerns about the professional competency, conduct or behaviour of another physician to health care institutions/hospitals, public health officials or regulatory authorities. CMPA, December 2010.
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Pager Management for Resident Physicians, Suggestions for managing the pager in your practice. Canadian Association of Internes and Residents
Associations
- Resident Doctors of Canada: Transition into Practice Service provides assistance and employment
- University of Saskatchewan Career Centre
- saskdocs works with students, medical trainees, physicians, international medical graduates, communities, health facilities and other partners to help find the right physician for the right community. They post new job opportunities to their website and host a number of Career Fairs all over Saskatchewan.
- drcareers is the Canadian Medical Association’s career centre for physicians.
- Parenting During Residency, A resident’s guide to parenting, pregnancy, parental leave and beyond. PAR-BC
- Medical Marriages discusses the emotional health of physicians and their families in intimate relationships. Dr. Michael F. Meyers, MD
Self-Assessment Tools
- Dimensions of Wellness: Social Wellness, A 10-point self-assessment
- Work-Life Balance Quiz, Canadian Mental Health Association
e-Learning
- HeretoHelp, a website developed by the BC Parnters for Mental Health and Addictions Information, has a series of wellness modules including Social Support.
- Alternatives Journal is a not-for-profit environmental magazine housed at the University of Waterloo. They have a range of paid, and free articles covering topics in sustainable living, people & profiles, policy & politics, energy & resources, and science & solutions.
Interactive-Media and e-Learning
- Ecological Footprint Calculator from the Earth Day Network. This quiz is provided in both a detailed and a basic version and includes questions about food consumption, material goods, living and utilities use, mobility and transportation, and provides you with a printable summary of your ecological footprint and compares it to the Canadian average.
- 6 Super Summer Apps “Put a little goodness in your gadget”
- H2OUSE provides an interactive “Home Tour” designed to provide information and advice to conserve water in your home.
Get Help
- Residents are encouraged to seek assistance as soon as possible as outcomes are often much better with early consideration. Our office offers confidential support and advocacy at “arm’s length” from the academic offices.
- The Saskatchewan Medical Association provides several programs under the umbrella of Physician Wellness and Support Programs - these include the Physician Health Program, Physician in Need (focuses on workplace wellness), the Medical Benevolent Society and EDI services.
- The University of Saskatchewan’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is available to all employees of the University of Saskatchewan. You can also access this program by logging into PAWS and visiting EMPLOYEE > My Employee Assistance Program > Go to My EFAP.
- 211 Saskatchewan is an initiative of the United Way Saskatoon and the United Way Regina. They offer centralized contact information for emergency crisis hotlines, shelters, child care services, care homes, food services, financial help, older adult services, newcomer services, aboriginal services, mental health services, and disability services. They have a province wide directory of Saskatchewan 24/7 Hour Crisis Hotlines.
Event Calendar
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Contact Us
Gayathri Manoharan (on Leave) (306) 966-1669 |
Chastin Miller (306) 966-5557 |