Wellness

Supporting Residents' Emotional and Mental Wellbeing

Residents have access to two 24-hour confidential support residents are encouraged to connect with the Employee and Family Assistance Program (VCH Lifeworks Portal) or the Physician Health Program (PHP). Residents can also find wellness resources at the UBC Resident Wellness office. The CMA also has a Physician Wellness Hub including a support phone line.


Resident Doctors of BC believes in supporting the emotional and mental well-being of residents. We are available to provide referrals to promote resident health and well-being.

Read the great wellness resources and tips submitted by your fellow residents:

Take a step back from studying/stressing and go for a paddle board. It combines exercise with a low-stress environment, and a little fresh air is guaranteed to make you feel refreshed and energized.

A good night of sleep and 1h bike ride/day, keeps the Doctor away!

Laugh Daily!

Exercise regularly, Make time for friends and family, Take time to think of one positive thing that happened to you each week

Massages, PRN

There’s no question about it, as a resident body, our coffee consumption is massive! What can I say? It keeps us awake to fulfill the heavy demands of residency. Coffee obviously contributes to dehydration and other adverse effects that paradoxically will make us feel less than optimal. So….after your first cup of morning coffee, how about filling your mug with water – hot or cold – and sip on it throughout the day…tada – H2O intake accounted for 🙂

I do a quick 30min run every morning to keep myself sane. Tucking my baby girl into bed every night also makes me forget most of the work-related stress.

Going for brunch with my co-residents!

My wellness tip is to continue to exercise. I practice martial arts 2-3 times a week that includes a mix of kung-fu and tai-chi. I also try to hang out with my friends from outside of medicine for movies and other activities.

Getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night (except nights I’m on call!)

Join Vancouver/Okanagan Urban Rec: They run many great co-ed sports leagues including soccer, basketball, floor hockey, volleyball, dodgeball, etc. You can sign up as an individual or as a team. It’s low cost, well organized, and participants are typically quite friendly and respectful.

Stay connected to your close supports such as your family or friends despite our busy schedules.

Book massages with a friend in your program after academic half day.

A long nap in the sun post call always melts away the stress of being on call.

I commute to and from work by running – gives me a chance to wake up in the morning, to clear my head after work, work out and get my 10 km in per day!

Biking to work

Always make time for exercise no matter how tired or how busy you are. It’s putting yourself first and you will never regret a workout. Even if you book yourself in with a personal trainer to keep yourself accountable, it’s worth every penny.

Buy a foldable clothes drying rack and hang your laundry It allows you to feel productive while accomplishing a chore, while taking a few minutes out of your busy day to slow down. It is also environmentally-friendly, and on a lucky day in BC, allows lets you soak in some sunshine!