During the week of Jan. 18, students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center are encouraged to relax, take a break from studying and learn how to cope with stress during UNMC’s annual Mind Your Mind: Mental Health Awareness Week.
The UNMC Psychiatry Student Interest Group (PsIG) coordinates and sponsors the annual interprofessional weeklong event aimed at improving student mental health.
“Wellness among medical students is a hot topic right now,” said PSiG President Ismatt Niazi, a fourth-year psychiatry student. “Historically, it’s been brushed off to the periphery, but it’s taking a more central role.”
This year’s PsIG week precedes a campuswide symposium focused on stress and emotional well-being. The Jan. 26-27 event features four national speakers from: Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; American Dental Education Association; Mayo Clinic; and the Department of Education, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
Presentations will be live streamed and also archived to allow for later viewing.
This year’s Mind Your Mind student activities include:
•Tuesday, Jan. 19 – A lunch presentation on mindful meditation by Steven Wengel, M.D., chair of the department of psychiatry.
•Wednesday, Jan. 20 – 10-minute massages are available between noon and 2 p.m.
•Wednesday, Jan. 20 – Student movie night. Students from all UNMC colleges are invited to watch Pixar’s “Inside Out,” followed by a discussion of the psychiatric aspects of the film.
•Thursday, Jan. 21 – Elisabeth Sunderneier, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist at UNMC, will give a noon presentation on biofeedback. David Carver, Ph.D., director of Counseling & Student Development, also will share information/resources on student services.
•Friday, Jan. 22 – Massages and pet therapy – 10-minute massages return for students between noon and 2 p.m. At 11 a.m., pet therapy dogs will stop by the Sorrell Commons Area, second floor.
Raising awareness of mental health issues and taking time to invest in one’s self is important, Niazi said.
“When you’re in an intensive academic program, you need to remember to spend time on yourself because it helps with your retention, your well-being and your ability to study again tomorrow,” he said.
The PsIG is an active, medical student-run organization that works to promote psychiatry and mental health through a variety of different educational activities, mentorship and outreach.
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