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COM's Gold Humanism Honor Society Hosts “Physician Heal Thyself” Project

Skip breadcrumb navigation COLLEGE STATION, Texas (February 28, 2007) – The John L. Montgomery, M.D. Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) has created a holistic physician wellness program entitled "Physician Heal Thyself" (PHT) for Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine students. The GHHS is comprised of fourth year medical students nominated by their peers and faculty for excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion, and dedication to service. PHT project’s goal is to improve medical student morale and coping skills by assisting the College of Medicine in developing physicians who are better able to recognize and address in themselves and their colleagues the stresses of medical training and future medical careers.

In recognition of the importance of supporting physician wellness as a career long goal, the College of Medicine has agreed to have the PHT project be a mandatory part of the first and second year curriculum with strong encouragement for voluntary attendance by third and fourth year medical students as their clinical schedules will allow. PHT is designed as two afternoon sessions to be held on March 1 and 23. The first half day will concentrate on introducing students to the concept of physician wellness and the general importance of personal health and growth. The second half day will include a series of interactive workshops for medical students and their significant others that focus on how to improve and maintain overall physical, mental, and spiritual wellness throughout a medical career.

Tom Zimmerman, M.A., a licensed, practicing marital and family counselor with over 30 years of experience speaking on stress management and resiliency will be delivering the keynote address on March 23 and is just one of the many regional, community and College of Medicine leaders in various fields of expertise who have donated their personal time to making the PHT project possible.

After completing the PHT series it is the hope of the organizers that College of Medicine students and their families will be better able obtain and maintain overall wellness and balance in their personal and professional lives throughout their training and practicing years. The larger goal of the PHT Project is in supporting the development of healthy physicians they will be better able to provide comprehensive, energetic and compassionate care to their own patients.

The PHT Project is being generously sponsored by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation/Gold Humanism Honor Society, the College of Medicine Dean’s office and Dean Chris Colenda, Texas A&M Health Science Center and Dr. Nancy Dickey, the College of Medicine’s Department of Humanities in Medicine, and the Departments of Psychiatry, Internal Medicine and Family Medicine at Scott & White.

For more information about the Physician Heal Thyself Project, contact the Department of Humanities in Medicine at 979-845-0755.
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