A Collaborative Model to Meet the Wellness Needs of Graduate Medical Education Programs

Background It can be challenging to successfully identify and prioritize wellness resources for residency programs within financially strained or smaller hospital systems. As part of COMPADRE (California Oregon Medical Partnership to Address Disparities in Rural Education and Health), trainee well-being was identified as a key priority due to the significant challenges graduate medical education (GME) programs face in supporting residents. Objective To develop a portable collaborative wellness programming model for GME leaders to use in support of trainee well-being. Methods The wellness model was developed in 2020 following an initial needs assessment with 31 GME programs, including rural sites in Oregon and Northern California and 2 urban academic medical centers. During the final year of the grant, a focus group was conducted to evaluate the impact of the model and included well-being faculty and staff leaders from multiple GME programs who consistently participated in our wellness programs. Results In response to the initial needs assessment, a wellness collaborative model was created, which included a wellness curriculum, peer support training, and a wellness community of practice (CoP). On average, 10 of the 31 GME programs participated in each of these offerings. Four modules were created in the following wellness domains: narrative reflection, belonging, mental health, and sense of purpose. During the final year of the grant, a semistructured focus group was conducted to evaluate the peer support trainings and CoP. A final needs assessment done by grant leadership revealed sustaining the program beyond the grant was a priority for most participants. Conclusions An adaptable collaborative wellness model was developed and met the wellness needs of GME programs by providing a wellness curriculum, peer support training, and a community of practice.