Resident retreats. . . what a treat!
I think most programs throw an annual get together or retreat of some sort. Our program sets aside two days out of each calendar year so all our residents can come together at the same place at the same time. (I routinely wonder how things got so complicated that we can only come up with two days, but that’s a topic for another blog).
Our first retreat was this past Saturday. We all met at a local camp-the kind with bunkhouses, horses, and salamander-filled streams. We began with a presentation based on the book Crucial Conversations. The residents participated in role playing scenarios, small group work, and completed self-assessment quizzes. We made the point of putting folks into groups with people who were not already close friends (we have 100 residents, so this is not hard) and I think it was a good experience. I felt they all got a lot out of the exercises.
Then the camp instructor lead the residents in a ropes course team building exercise. We had lunch, a little break, and ended the day with the annual faculty/housestaff football game.
Our second retreat is our year end picnic in May. I’m looking forward to it already!
Would be interested to hear from others about retreat ideas! Leave a comment below.
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Diane Farineau
Diane W. Farineau is the director of administration for graduate medical educational and faculty affairs at the University of Virginia Health System in the Department of Medicine.
Diane has written 35 posts.
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We have one get together at the end of June to encompass those fellows leaving and those arriving. It’s just a dinner, but a game of charades usually breaks out at some point.
I’m always looking for new ideas for get togethers…any info would be appreciated.
Our third year class is responsible for arranging our resident retreat each year. They begin meeting in July to discuss plans and this Friday we will go to lunch at the Henry Ford Estate and then proceed to the University of Michigan for a low ropes course. In the evening we will come together with our families at a farm for hayrides, BBQ, and corn mazes. Our faculty,administrative staff, residents and their families look forward to the evening of camaraderie every year.
We try to do a resident retreat for a few hours after their in-training exam and either go bowling or laser tag. It is a great way to break the stress after taking a long test.
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