Abstract
At UConn Health in Framingham, CT, the pharmacy residency program team used one of its bimonthly meetings as a creative way to counter the accumulated stress from operating a learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Instead of sitting there and discussing a leadership article or a new leadership technique that they could implement, we just forewent the scheduled discussion items and we played trivia,” said Kevin W. Chamberlin, university director of pharmacy residency program. “Everybody laughed, and it was just a way to loosen up at the end of a stressful run.” He said the program has also extended the creative approach to residents’ wellness by hosting virtual game nights, escape rooms, and other activities as alternatives to the in-person social events that were abandoned during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Chamberlin emphasized that stress management is serious business for the residency team, which has built education, monitoring, and resources into the workday to create a supportive and wellness-focused culture.