This week, we have Dr. Erica Dance (@erdance), a wellness guru from the University of Alberta. Dr. Dance is a passionate individual, who loves discussing the topic of wellness. In her role as Assistant Dean she works in the Learner Advocacy and Wellness office to support the well-being of residents and fellows across her institution. Within the post, she shares her tips for how to make wellness part of your everyday routine. Check out how Dr. Dance stays healthy in EM!

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Finishing up his first year as an emergency medicine resident, Dr. Ryan Tam has strived to integrate wellness into his normal routine. Maintaining his love for cooking and photography has helped provide him with balance over the past year. Being a foodie, he’s got great tips to eating well and hitting all of the essential food groups. Believe it or not, the food still tastes great! He hopes that his small changes in day to day routine, will become permanent habits of wellness. Here’s how he stays healthy in EM!

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Dr. Chau Pham has got wellness locked down! Throughout her life, she has always somehow created an environment of wellness while adapting to various situations. Most recently she used these skills to weather the many challenges of being a new mother. Despite having two little ones at home, she still wears many other hats, including the Director of Medical Missions for the national charity, Canadians Helping Kids in Vietnam. In person, Dr. Chau Pham has an incredible lightness of being and is totally zen! Here’s how she stays healthy in EM!

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Dr. Rob Woods (@robwoodsuofs) is an individual that is truly committed to self-improvement and, in terms of wellness, he has exceeded. Currently, he is the program director of the University of Saskatchewan FRCPC EM Program, Medical Advisor to Ground Ambulance Services, and a STARS (HEMS) Transport Physician. How he excels in all these jobs and still has time to be known as a loving father and husband, amazing Program Director, and CrossFitter is incomprehensible! But it may have something to do with the fact that he has mastered time management. A great competitor on and off the field, Dr. Woods is never afraid to show his competitive side, which always makes things a bit more fun! Here’s how he manages to stay healthy in EM!

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Dr. Melody Ong is an emergency medicine resident finishing up her first year of residency. I had the pleasure of meeting her while on residency interviews last year and we hit it off! As we share similar interests, personalities, and opinions on wellness, I knew she would have something to contribute to say about staying healthy. Whether it be traveling to the World Cup to indulge in her favorite sport, or trekking through Patagonia in Southern Argentina, Dr. Ong strives to practice wellness even on her days off. Within her PGY-1 year, she has been able to consistently make time for all the things that help her stay healthy. Here’s how she does it!

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Dr. Lalani (@ERMentor) is no stranger when it comes to wellness. He is without a doubt an individual who is always striving to improve himself on every level. Currently, he is the Assistant Program Director of the University of Saskatchewan FRCPC EM Program, creator of the blog ERMentor, and has recently completed his certification to be a Life Coach (check out his personal website here). When he’s not in the ED torturing his residents with his top secret set of tough questions, he can be found on the golf course working on his pro swing. Dr. Lalani is a mentor to many, and his residents often look to him for advice outside of medicine. Take a look at how he stays healthy in emergency medicine!

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Staying healthy should not be an option. As emergency physicians, it should be our mandate to stay healthy so that we can promote healthy living, optimize our ability to care for our patients, extend our careers, and be there for our families. However, modern life can be hectic and unpredictable. While we all desire an active and healthy lifestyle, maintaining one in practice can be difficult for physicians despite our extensive education and resources. ¹ As emergency physicians we face the additional challenge of working a schedule that has been shown to have negative health implications. ²

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