Wellbeing in the UAB Pediatrics Residency Program begins with our culture. This is a place where every individual is valued, supported, challenged, and encouraged. It is who we are. Upon this firm foundation, the Resident Wellness Committee and the program leadership have created a multi-faceted approach to bolstering wellness during residency training and increasing joy and resilience for the career ahead.

Physical Wellness

• Regularly scheduled exercise classes and outdoor hikes

• Zumba, Yoga, and Cardio in Railroad Park

• Pediatric Residency Intramural teams, especially kickball

• Reduced membership fees to UAB's huge rec center, which is less than 2 blocks away

• Wonderful running trails at Jemison Trail, Red Mountain Park, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and many others

• Free access to the small gym within Children’s Hospital

• Free lunch every weekday

• Two refrigerators in the Resident Lounge

• Convenient access to lactation services and areas

Emotional and Spiritual Wellness

• Monthly visits to the Resident Lounge by the therapy dogs 

• Professionally-led grief discussions and debriefing during PICU and NICU rotations

• Monthly Resident Reflective Rounds, small group discussions with faculty wellness mentors

• A scheduled meeting during PGY1 year with a counselor who remains an accessible and valuable resource

• Close relationship with and support from the Pastoral Care Department of Children’s of Alabama

• Peer mentoring through multi-class “Animal Houses”

Social Wellness

• Residents care for and support one another and truly enjoy spending time together

• Friday Social Lunch, where (pre-COVID) residents and significant others gather in the lounge for social time every week

• Monthly “Peds Time Outs” outside of the hospital, a Halloween party during the day, and an evening Winter Holiday Party in which attendings and fellows cover resident duties until 7 a.m. the following day

• Annual off-campus retreats for each class

• Faculty advisors assigned to each resident through a process designed to maximize resident support and encouragement

• Week of “Unscheduled Time” at the end of PGY1 year, often called “Beach week” because residents celebrate the end of internship with a Gulf Coast escape with their classmates (It’s less than 4½ hours to drive to Alabama or Florida beaches!)

Financial Wellness

• Lectures several times per year to establish financial footing early in career

• Great resident benefits and perks

• Lots of free food

• Moving allowance prior to PGY1 year

• Moonlighting opportunities for fully-licensed PGY2-4 residents

Just for Fun

• “Wellness Wednesdays” monthly in the lounge with fun treats or activities

• “Funuary,” a month of themed silliness each winter 

• Monthly Wellness Drawings – Residents receive gift cards to great places in Birmingham for no reason at all

Even more Wellness

• Wellness Elective available to PGY2-4 residents

• Two “Wellness Days” per year

• Frequent conferences around resilience and burnout prevention

• Close communication with Program Directors and Chief Residents through twice-weekly e-newsletter, Tuesday Talks (monthly class meetings), monthly Town Halls, annual retreats, and fall resident surveys

• Approachable and involved Program Directors who expect to be called, texted, or emailed by residents any hour of the day, any day

• Case managers on inpatient teams assist with administrative tasks of patient care

• Amazing and supportive staff in the House Staff Office to help with paperwork, licensing, and other “adulting” tasks

• Belief in a Growth Mindset, in which we celebrate learning and thriving rather than perfection

• Participation in a national study consortium evaluating our residents’ wellness and resilience over time

• Close integration with faculty wellness efforts through the Program Directors, including the Chief Wellness Officer

• Free access to UAB’s robust wellness offerings, including the Employee Assistance & Counseling Center and UAB Cares