FEBRUARY 2020 |
VOL 3 ISSUE 6

In this issue:

  • #TreatYoSelf
  • Houston Happenings
  • Love Yourself
  • MS4 Advice
  • SPOTlight
  • TAO
  • Wellness Warriors
The Well is a monthly newsletter that serves to
positively impact the well-being of the McGovern student community
by highlighting a myriad of wellness-related content.
Click here to share your thoughts on The Well!
Love Yourself
What is self-love? While many of us roll our eyes at the cliche acts of "self-love" peddled by Instagram influencers, loving yourself is about much more than just buying yourself things. If we put down these exhausted ideas, we can begin to see the simple opportunities we have to care for ourselves daily: asking for help, setting boundaries, giving ourselves enough time for a full night’s sleep, using compassionate self-talk, and valuing ourselves.

These acts, while simple, require something that no Facebook ad can ever offer - work. Setting ourselves up for success is not easy. It is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In other words, incorporating small changes every day might feel futile, but looking back, we just might be able to appreciate how revolutionary those small acts of self-love were.

Looking for some evidence? Research investigating this popular topic has found that self-compassion moderates the link between perfectionism and depression in both adolescence and adulthood .  Click here for article.
#TreatYoSelf

 
 SPOTlight | Love in the City
Looking for love? Try…
  • Go Workout! | singles in Houston are knocking out two birds with one stone - getting in a workout and meeting someone special. Groups meet up at the Gorgeous Gael Irish Pub for a run every Tuesday or Kung Fu for a three- to five-mile run every Wednesday, rain or shine!
  • Kirby Ice House | great place to relax and watch sports as well as enjoy food trucks
  • Yoga at Discovery Green | ‘nuff said

Date night…
  • Amorino | ice cream parlor with natural and authentic gelato
  • Giacomo’s | discover this quirky Italian spot for amazing Venetian-style plates
  • Nancy’s Hustle | intimate bistro serving delicious European and new American food
  • Night Heron | relaxed bistro with plenty of natural light and a long wine list
  • Oporto | Portuguese food and wine offering a dim-lit dining experience
MS4 Advice | Love & Med School
DATING OUTSIDE OF MEDICINE
One of the things that's unique about dating someone outside of med school is that some med students want to talk about what they see/do on their rotations with people not in medicine. It’s important to always keep in mind that it's hard to explain everything clearly enough to be understandable for everyone, and that can sometimes be frustrating for both people - I personally don't talk a lot about medicine with my boyfriend and love that we have other interests we can relate on. Additionally, a huge pro for me is that he and I can find other topics of conversation that for me is a release since med school can kind of be overwhelming sometimes.

| Sneha Patel, MS4
LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP
Long-distance relationships are not ideal. My wife and I lived in Houston when we started dating and moved in together before getting married. Shortly thereafter, she started her job in San Antonio. It’s difficult when the person you count on, trust, and is your best friend is no longer with you all the time. Maintaining that closeness and sense of team can be difficult. We avoid this with frequent phone calls/FaceTime. We also have TV shows that we both enjoy that we watch together and text to communicate during them. Whenever one of you has the weekend off, drive up to see the other. It may take some time and energy, but it’s definitely worth it for maintaining the relationship. As discussed, the cons involve difficulty maintaining that partnership. I have found one pro: I am able to be much more productive during the week now. Working hard during the week allows you to take weekends off to visit each other without feeling guilty. If you are able to continue to stay strong as a partnership and continue to grow together, you will also know that your relationship is strong enough to survive some of the toughest situations.

| Grant Dixon, MS4
DATING A CLASSMATE
The most important advice I can give to a classmate interested in dating a fellow medical student would be to first know yourself. Know your priorities, your interests, your strengths, and your flaws. How well do you communicate when the going gets tough? Do you have a strong support system outside of the person in whom you may be interested? Medical school has many ups and downs, and entering a relationship when you are adjusting or working to empower yourself may not be the best of choices. Find what makes you happy outside of medical school first—arts, dance, music, working out—and build a strong foundation in the event your relationship does not pan out well.

If you’re currently dating someone in medical school, I believe there are three main tenets to a successful relationship during these four years: 1. Communicate, 2. Be supportive, and 3. Keep your own goals in mind. I cannot state the significance of communication enough. Humans are not equipped with mind-reading abilities just yet. Be open, honest, and constructive when you feel the relationship is going through a tough time or your significant other (SO) has done something to upset you. Communication is especially key if you have a SO who plans to do an away rotation (sometimes in a different state) during his or her fourth year of medical school and is not readily available for you. No rotation is so busy where you cannot send a good morning or goodnight text!

Finally, always keep your own goals in mind. Medical school is ultimately a period of flux. Who you are during your white coat ceremony may be completely different from who you are on graduation day. If you love the person who you are with, encourage them to follow their dreams; don’t bring them down. This becomes critical during fourth year when educational pursuits evolve, ultimately leading some people to different places in residency. You will not be happy with your SO if you are not happy yourself. Be true to yourself, communicate your options and thoughts with your SO, and make your decisions with the right combination of both partners’ inputs.

At the end of the day, medical student or not, I think the most important question to ask yourself is “Can I see us having a future together?” If you can, the hurdles become less daunting and the path a bit easier.

| Tiffany Robles, MS4
Wellness Warriors
Welcome back to Wellness Warriors, our column that keeps you up-to-date regarding the latest-and-(hopefully)-greatest accomplishments of the Wellness & Resilience advocacy subcommittee. Lack of early and/or sufficient exposure to non-core specialties and specialty-specific career counseling has been a topic of conversation, especially among clinical students, over the years. Our subcommittee met with OASA to propose including a shadowing initiative within the new passport program and asking departments to host residency preparation meetings at minimum in the spring of third year. We suggested they provide departments contact information for the student interest group presidents so they can facilitate as well. We will continue working alongside OASA to enact these changes!


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MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Houston Happenings

02.01: Celine Dion, Toyota Center
02.01-02: Chaka Khan, Arena Theater
02.01: Houston Symphony with Kirill Gerstein-Beethoven,
Jones Hall for the Performing Arts
02.03: USWNT v. Costa Rica, BBVA Stadium
02.04: Pinot in the City - Houston, 501 Crawford St. 
02.06-07: Sarah McLachlan, Sarofim Hall
02.07-08: Colter Wall, White Oak Music Hall
02.07-09: Jersey Boys, Sarofim Hall
02.07-09: Sesame Street Live, NRG Arena
02.08-09: Pancho Barraza, Arena Theater
02.08: Rodeo in the Park, Kelsey Seybold Clinic-Main Campus
02.08: UFC 247, Toyota Center
02.09: Monster Jam, NRG Stadium
02.13-14: Angela Aguilar, Arena Theater
02.14-22: Aventura, Toyota Center
02.14: Love Bugs & Love Bites. A Valentine's Feast Fit for Foodies,
The Health Museum
02.14: Mardi Gras! Galveston, The Strand
02.14-16: The 34th Annual Houston - Texas Home & Garden Show,
NRG Park
02.14-17: Russell Peters, The Improv
02.15: Chris Lane, House of Blues
02.15: Harlem Globetrotters, Fertitta Center
02.15: Taco X Tequila Fest, Guadalupe Plaza Park
02.15-16: Tracy Lawrence, Arena Theater
02.21: Cirque Du Soleil - Alegria, Sam Houston Race Park
02.21: Tori Kelly, Revention Music Center
02.22-23: Mardi Gras Houston 2020, Downtown Houston
02.22-23: Rex Orange County, Revention Music Center
02.27-29: World Championship Bar-B-Que Contest,
NRG Park
02.27-03.09: Houston Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty, Brown Theater
02.29: Houston Dynamo Fan Fest 2020, BBVA Stadium 
02.29: ALL You CAN EAT Crawfish Fest,
Emancipation Park
Announcement | Ombudsperson

Are conflicts or concerns causing you undue stress? Don’t forget about UTHealth’s newly created position: the Office of the Academic Ombuds. Robin Dickey, PhD, MA, LPC, is available as a listener, mediator, and coach for all members of our UTHealth family! Make an appointment today!
TAO | Therapy Assistance Online
The Student Health and Counseling Clinic is excited to announce a new wellness tool available to all students, faculty, and staff at UTH.  TAO (Therapy Assistance Online) is an interactive, self-guided, web-based program that consists of tools and educational materials to help you learn about and change how you think and feel. 
Brought to you by the McGovern Student Wellness & Resilience Committee
Newsletter Staff: Lauren Appel, Lauren Beal, Andrew Eck,
Ashley Ernst, Jay Garza, Ally Limmer, Kelly Masterson,
Malvi Mehta, Nisha Reddy, & Fatema Shipchandler
Questions, Comments, or Contributions to The Well,
please email MS.Wellness@uth.tmc.edu