Academic Wellness

There are many aspects to academic wellness. Not only do you need to build your ability to understand the types of material you are learning, academic wellness involves a great amount of time management and the ability to set both priorities and goals.

These aspects of academic wellness do not always come naturally. For some of us, we coast along fine through high school and even post-secondary studies, without developing the proper studying habits. Then, we hit a period where we need to build skills we have never really needed before. If this is the case for you, hope is not lost! While it may take some up front work and time, it is possible to build new habits.

At NOSM University, we want to help you excel and develop what you need to become a lifelong learner. Being a lifelong learner is increasingly necessary in modern life, and is essential to any role in healthcare that you might be training for.

Resources

I Need Help

Addressing Learner Mistreatment

Learner Support

NOSM U Well App

Resident Wellness Program

Student Assistance Program (SAP)

Need Time Off?

Health & Wellness Guide

Being Active at Home

Academic Integrity Policy

Familiarize yourself with NOSM University's Academic Integrity Policy as a commitment to honesty and ethical conduct during your educational journey.

Academic distress
If you are in academic distress or need help, make sure to reach out to your Learner Affairs Officer (LAO). There is no shame in needing help.

Accessibility and accommodations
If you require an accommodation for a disability, please contact the accessibility advisor. To learn more, head to the webpage on Learner Accessibility and Accommodations.

NOSM U Library
Make use of the NOSM University Library as a resource, and a place to study. You can keep up to date with the library by following their Twitter.

Thunder Bay room number: MSW2007
Sudbury room number: MSE 120

Manage stress and burnout
Your Homewood Health SAP has online resources available on stress management and burnout. If possible, review these resources before you think you will need them.

If you are interested in seeing a counsellor, you can visit homeweb.ca or call Homewood Health:

1-800-663-1142 (English)
1-866-398-9505 (Numéro sans frais – en français)
1-888-384-1152 (TTY)
604-689-1717 International (Call Collect)

Drive safe
If you are too tired to drive yourself home safely after an on-call or extended shift, please do not get behind the wheel.

NOSM University will reimburse you for the cost of a taxi trip from the hospital to your residence in the same city, and you can download the NOSM U Well app for a list of local taxi companies.

Subscribe to the learner support services calendar
Stay updated on the opportunities offered by Learner Support Services.

Unsuccessful assessments
We know it can be very difficult to be unsuccessful on an assessment in medical school. If you have been unsuccessful in an assessment, you can reach out to an LAO for support.

Your LAOs can also connect you with a learner who has been through reassessment/remediation and is willing to chat with you, if you want to discuss your experience with someone who has been in the same place as you.

Join an interest group
The NOSM U Student Council Interest Groups offer a chance to get involved with other students who share your interests, and learn more about an area of medicine

Wellness curriculum
Your PGY1 Core Curriculum includes wellness topics like fatigue management, burnout, mindfulness and resiliency in order to help you develop the lifelong skills to stay well in medicine.

Know your rights
Resident wellness rests upon a foundation of respect for PARO-OTH Collective Agreement protections, freedom from intimidation and harassment, safe and healthy working environments, and safe housing and transportation. Residents are encouraged to come forward if ever these conditions are not met.

If you need clarification of these standards or assistance with advocacy, your LAO is available to provide support.

IMG Support

International Medical Graduates are encouraged to visit NOSM U IMG Support to learn more about the training resources available to them at NOSM University.

Build good study habits.
What works for you might not work for everyone else, so be sure to try different strategies if you find what you usually do is not providing the results you would like.

There is information available about the most effective, evidence-based study practices. Here are the top two tips UC San Diego Department of Psychology:

Generally, studying the same concepts and information for shorter periods of time, but repeated multiple days, is the most effective use of your time. You can learn more on the website for UC San Diego.
It is not only when you study, but how you study. Rather than simply re-reading or reviewing materially, you should actively recall that information from memory. You can use tools like practice questions or flash cards to help you. Do not forget to check your answers after answering questions! Learn more about practice testing (also known as retrieval practice and active recall) from UC San Diego.