At Cooper University Health Care, we are deeply committed to the wellness of our residents and fellows. Based on valuable feedback from our residents, we have implemented several enhancements to support their well-being, including a food stipend, housing stipend, retirement matching, phone bill coverage, and coverage of board exam fees. These changes are designed to help ease the financial burdens and improve the overall quality of life for our trainees. We also prioritize flexibility by allotting wellness days across all GME programs, giving residents and fellows time to recharge without compromising their schedules. Year-round, we host interdepartmental events that foster camaraderie and provide opportunities to unwind.
Living in the vibrant area surrounding Cooper offers easy access to hiking trails, the shore, museums, restaurants, cultural events, live music, and more, ensuring that our residents and fellows have ample opportunities to enjoy a healthy work-life balance.
Our GME Well-Being Directory will be coming soon with additional information about available supports.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Graduate Medical Education programs of Cooper are committed to providing a supportive environment that allows all members of its academic community to thrive and succeed.
Visit the link below to learn more about:
Diversity in Graduate Medical Education at Cooper
Mental Health & Emotional Well-Being
Your emotional well-being includes how you think, act, and feel. It helps you cope with stress, relate to others, and make decisions. It can change over time, depending on personal and professional factors. There are resources available and no shame in asking for help.
Optum EWS is Cooper’s Employee Assistance Program. They offer a suite of free and confidential services:
- 24/7/365 support via Navigation Specialists (Call: 1-800-972-8976)
- 6 free virtual or in-person counseling sessions per issue, per year
- 6 free virtual behavioral coaching sessions per topic, per year
- Crisis support
- Free premium version of Calm app
- Access to www.loveforourfrontline.com specialty resources including CEU courses
For additional information, including access to the online provider directory, visit: www.liveandworkwell.com
Cooper Resources:
Optum EWS
ACGME Resources:
Well-Being Resources & Toolkits
Safe, non-judgmental atmosphere to process challenges related to clinical care, residency, and more. These are scheduled into didactics for each program by their administrators. Contact your program admin/leadership to learn more about times and locations, or ask for a support group if one has not taken place.
How are you feeling?
Brief screenings are the quickest way to determine if you or someone you care about should connect with professional support. Think of these as a check up from the neck up.
This program through UMichigan is completely anonymous and confidential, and following the brief questionnaire you will see your results, recommendations, and resources.
Though the field of well-being is constantly evolving, research has repeatedly pointed to several measurable factors that play a crucial role for physicians. To explore your own personal degree of well-being and which factors impact you most right now, take one of these assessments from Stanford WellMD and WellPhD program. Your responses and assessment results are for your use only — they are not saved and will remain confidential.
Work Resources
You’ll be working long hours during residency/fellowship, and managing fatigue is important to your success. Here are some resources for how to manage fatigue.
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- Call rooms with sleep facilities are available
- Individual advising on fatigue management, scheduling and sleep planning, and effective time management from the residency/fellow program faculty
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AMA Training Module: Sleep Deprivation: Your Life and Your Work
Some tips for managing fatigue in the moment include:
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- Eating well, including low-fat protein-rich foods and low glycemic index foods
- Drinking water, especially to compensate for diuretics
- Avoiding caffeine when you’re not tired and for a few hours before bedtime
- Gradually increasing your activity level
- Scheduling regular rest periods
- Setting a regular routine
As a high-reliability organization, we regard safety as a high priority every day for patients, visitors, faculty, residents, fellows, staff, and learners. Various programs and services to address employee well-being and safety exist to support our community.
- Cooper Security (856-342-2400)
- Violence Prevention Resources
- HARP Violence Prevention Training
- Cooper Learning Network Training
- CALI: It’s All About How You Say It
Speak directly with your chief resident and/or program leadership to learn more.
Department-Specific Wellness Pages
General Resources
Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience
National Academy of Medicine
ACGME Resident Wellness Data: Results from Five Years of Surveys
American Psychiatric Association Well-Being and Burnout Resources
American Psychiatric Association
AMA Steps Forward
American Medical Association
Communication Rx: Transforming Healthcare Through Relationship-Centered Communication
Academy of Communication in Healthcare
Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine
Mental Health Awareness in Osteopathic Medical Education
American Association of College in Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)
The Neuroscience of Human Connection and the Health Risks of Isolation
Dr. Amy Banks
Resource Compendium for Health Care Worker Well-Being
National Academy of Medicine
The Clinician Well-Being Playbook
American Hospital Association
Well-Being in Academic Medicine
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)