Wellness support when you need it.

Helping you maintain balance, manage stress, and have fun during medical school.

Teaching Kitchen, UCLA Recreation K-Pop Dance, and Paint and Sip

The Well-Being Office is committed to supporting our students’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being and the David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM) community at large.

Student Well-Being Committee

The Student Well-being committee supports a healthy environment for the DGSOM community.

  • Develop specific well-being initiatives for nutrition, mental health and fitness.
  • Help coordinate well-being activities for incoming class as part of the MS1 Basecamp Course
  • Promote community well-being with student participation in activities (i.e. beach clean-up, organized trip to a Farmer’s Market, 5K/10K benefit)
  • Encourage responsible practices (reducing waste, recycling in lecture halls, etc.).

Committee Activities

Class of 2024

  • Callie Cuff
  • Connie Ho
  • Clare Moffatt
  • Annette Marinello

Class of 2025

  • Michaela Juels
  • Yifan Mao
  • Gianna Radeljic
  • Shannon Richardson

Class of 2026

  • Raeven Grant
  • Leslie Nunez
  • Vidhi Singh
  • Dona Syriani

Class of 2027

  • Lorenzo Miller
  • Rony Moon
  • Hillary Nguyen
  • Yee Nip

Past Events

Tools for Transition: Successfully Navigating Your Entry Into Medicine

September 13-16, 12-12:50 p.m.

Please join the Behavioral Wellness Center for a chance to connect with your cohort in a small group setting and identify tools for resiliency as you transition into your first year of medical school. Details and RSVP coming soon: events.medschool.ucla.edu

Burnout in Medicine Workshop

Tuesday, February 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Zoom

Your student Well-Being Reps invite you to this workshop to discuss burnout and how it manifests in our experiences as current and future health care professionals. The event will include a 30-minute presentation from the BWC, a 50-minute physician panel discussion, and 30-minute breakout room session. Please feel free to join for any or all parts of the workshop.

Common Grounds

Thursday,  November 4, 5-6 p.m. on Zoom
Thursday, November 19, 7-8 p.m. on Zoom

Stop by Common Grounds, a virtual cafe experience to bond with your peers make new connections and cultivate community during these uncertain times.  Bring a cup of coffee or tea for a quick break in your day.

Facilitated by Christian Gasca, LCSW and Hannah Wolfe, ACSW, DGSOM Behavioral Wellness Center

Break Free From Burnout

Friday, October 16, 12-12:50 p.m. on Zoom

Remote learning in medical school comes with unique challenges.  Join us for a workshop focused on tools to help identify and cope with burnout, fatigue and stress.

Facilitated by Dominique Gillis, LMFT and Anna Miller, LCSW, DGSOM Behavioral Wellness Center

School-Life Balance

Monday, October 19, 12-12:50 p.m. on Zoom

The goal of the session will be to provide students with a forum to discuss what exactly people mean when they say “school/life balance”. The session will cover common medical school mind traps and pitfalls that can influence how students feel and behave while working hard to succeed. The session is meant to be fun and interactive, while challenging participants to think about the things that matter most to them in the upcoming years. Come relax and reflect!

Facilitated by Brandon Ito, MD, DGSOM Behavioral Wellness Center

Reflect. Create. Unwind.

Thursday, October 22, 5-6:30 p.m. on Zoom

An art workshop led by Jessica Bianchi, EdD. Learn about the benefits of Art Therapy and create your own digital work of art during this hands-on session.

Grief and Loss

Thursday, October 15, 12-12:50 p.m. on Zoom

Learn coping strategies for working with grieving patients and their families, in addition to recognizing your own grief. 

Facilitated by Sol Rapoport, LMFT, DGSOM Behavioral Wellness Center

Self-Care for Success

Monday, October 12, 12-12:50 p.m. on Zoom

Stress is a natural part of life and no stranger to medical students. Navigating the many demands of medical school can result in stress; often times manifesting in emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms. This workshop will help students to identify what their stress warning signs are; provide tools for managing their stress to stay within their “Zone of Optimal Functioning”; and help them recognize when additional support might be helpful.

Facilitated by Timothy Beyer, PhD, DGSOM Behavioral Wellness Center

Tools for Transition:  Successfully Navigating your Entry Into Medicine

August 17-19 and 27-28, 12-1 p.m. on Zoom

Please join the Behavioral Wellness Center for a chance to connect with your cohort in a small group setting and identify tools for resiliency as you transition into your first year of medical school.

Resources

DGSOM supports your growth and development as a whole person, providing a variety of resources to help you maintain health and wellness, in addition to your academic success.

Mental Health

Take care of yourself so that you can take care of your future patients.

Fitness

UCLA is located in one of the most exciting cities in the nation. The LA lifestyle has plenty to offer in the way of fitness. Both indoor and outdoor adventures await!

Local Attractions

  • Temescal Canyon
  • Santa Monica and Malibu Mountains
  • The Beaches: surfing, skateboarding, rollerblading, beach
    volleyball, kayaking
  • Griffith Park
  • Catalina Island: camping, hiking, exploring
  • UCLA Sports Center
  • Big Bear Ski resort (Only 2.5 hours from the beach!)
  • Joshua Tree National Park

Nutrition

Eating local is the easiest way to ensure that you are eating fresh, sustainable ingredients. There are plenty of resources for local, nutritious, sustainable food sources in Los Angeles and across Southern California. 

Meditation

Meditation is a great way to reduce stress and increase mental acuity.

Campus Resources 

Additional Resources

UCLA Healthy Campus Initiative

Connect with Us

Career Development and Well-Being

Please feel free to contact any of us in the Well-Being Office to learn more about how to ensure that you maintain balance, manage stress, take care of yourself, and have fun throughout medical school.

Aurora Reyes, MAEd
Director for Career Development and Well-Being
amreyes@mednet.ucla.edu

 

 

Mary Ann Triest, EdD
Director for Student Engagement
Student Organizations
mtriest@mednet.ucla.edu