By training physician residents, Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs necessarily expose new healthcare professionals to vicarious trauma, which can lead to significant psychological distress, impacting physician wellbeing and patient care (Ravi et al., 2021). Despite the critical need for effective support systems within healthcare institutions, current methods of addressing it are insufficient (Lane et al., 2018). For this reason, counselors in our GME program utilized their relationship-building expertise to develop the Support-U Training Program (SUTP). The goal of SUTP is to increase trauma resilience for physician residents by training all residents in essential communication skills, thereby expanding the peer support network. The program emphasizes empathy, active listening, and open-ended questioning to enhance trust and emotional connections among peers. In its pilot phase with 35 family medicine and 15 internal medicine residents, surveys indicated the program's effectiveness in enhancing peer support knowledge, communication skills, and emotional intelligence. Notably, 91% of family medicine participants and 100% of internal medicine participants reported an increased understanding of peer support. Moreover, 89% of all respondents noted improvements in their listening and communication skills. Attendees will learn how mental health professionals can use their skills in an integrative healthcare setting. Specifically, this presentation includes strategies used in the SUTP to foster a supportive environment among healthcare professionals, focusing on practical skill-based training. This presentation will provide guidelines and best practices for replicating the SUTP model in other healthcare settings, emphasizing its adaptability and scalability.

Authors:
Cory Gerwe, Eastern Virginia Medical School, United States
Tom Seguin, Old Dominion University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Gerwe He is currently an Assistant Professor in the OBGYN program and Director of the GME Leadership, Coaching, and Wellness program at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS).

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