Wellness Committee
The Wellness Committee seeks to promote resident wellness by organizing and putting on various events to enhance resident well being and strengthen relationships in our residency community. Previous events have included going to a Nationals baseball game, potlucks, brunch, running club, and even a pumpkin carving session. We also create and send a monthly/bimonthly resident bulletin Cuckoo’s Nest which includes updates on residency life and encouragements, as well as organize the annual ordering of GW Psychiatry jackets.
Retreat Committee
The Retreat Committee organizes the annual resident retreat, a one-day event when all of GW’s psychiatry interns and residents are excused from their clinical duties to participate in team-building activities that not only emphasize core values of the department, such as intellectual curiosity and the importance of reflection, but also encourage camaraderie and promote friendships beyond the clinical setting. In previous years, this event has often taken place at the historic Hendry House in Arlington, VA, and has featured a keynote speaker on the chosen theme, faculty-free feedback sessions where any program-related pros/cons can be discussed with solutions suggested and plans implemented, as well as indoor and outdoor games, from obstacle courses to giant Jenga.
On-Call Committee
The On-Call Committee (OCC) is a venue for resident-run meetings to air and discuss issues that occur while on call, troubleshoot what issues can be solved by residents, and make the administration aware of any issues in the hospital that impact psychiatry residents when they take call. The Committee is a place for psychiatry residents to discuss both learning and systems issues that come up on call and have open discussions with their peers and advisor about difficult cases/situations that arise when on call. The OCC implemented an online tracking tool that allows residents to track how many patients they see while on call and a place to submit comments about issues that arise during overnight calls.
Recruitment Committee
We are passionate about our program and its future. Each year the recruitment committee puts time, thought, and enthusiasm into the applicant interview and selection process in order to ensure our future residents are a good match for our program. Residents from all classes are encouraged to join the committee and support this important process. One key part of the process that residents enjoy is attending pre-interview dinners and interview day lunches with applicants.
Newsletter Committee
The GW psychiatrist biannual newsletter showcases the academic and clinical going-ons of our department. The newsletter is resident run, and features original writing by the core faculty members, junior and senior residents, and affiliate faculty. You can see our Newsletters here.
Education Committee
The Education Committee’s goal is to facilitate theoretical and clinical learning for residents, interns in particular. The main project each year is the Intern Lecture Series, which is a weekly lecture given by upper level residents with a focus on common issues that may arise early in training and on call, such as admissions, risk assessment, managing agitation, etc. Additionally, the Education Committee facilitates preparation for the annual Psychiatry Resident-In-Training Examination (PRITE) through weekly practice quizzes and a yearly neurology review series. The Education Committee meets quarterly to discuss ongoing projects and improving educational effectiveness.