Graduate Student Wellness

The UFCOM Office of Graduate Education is committed to the health and well-being of our scientists in training. Graduate studies can be very demanding, as students balance coursework, research, and graduate assistantships or other employment; often during a time of increased personal/family responsibility. As a result, we are working to provide the best support for our graduate students. Some examples of our ongoing efforts to improve the educational experience for our students are described below:

Culture of Wellness

• The UF Office of Graduate Education sponsors an annual Graduate Student Appreciation Week, with a variety of events and activities designed to give back to graduate students for their many contributions to the UF community. More events can be seen via the following: http://graduateschool.ufl.edu/about-us/events/
• Graduate students have access to a new graduate student lounge to encourage peer interaction and provide an environment to relax and recharge: https://floridaphysician.med.ufl.edu/2018/01/03/new-graduate-student-lounge-opens/
• The second floor of the HSC Library is accessible by keycard only for students in the health science center colleges to provide access to a safe and quiet place for study on a 24-hour basis: https://library.health.ufl.edu/about-us/library-user-policies/24hr-study-space/
• The Assistant Dean for Medical Education facilitates monthly student advocacy meetings with other student leaders from each of the UF COM programs (MD, PA, MD/PhD, MS, PhD).
• The UFCOM Graduate Student Organization (COM-GSO) was established to focus on the education and needs of non-professional graduate students in the College of Medicine. The COM-GSO provides students with opportunities related to career development, social events, and opportunities to participate in intramural athletics: http://gsovpres.wixsite.com/gsobms
• Through the COM-GSO, graduate students also have opportunities to participate in community service activities to give back to the community while experiencing the joy of science in action: http://gsovpres.wixsite.com/gsobms/community-service-1
• The Organization for Graduate Student Advancement and Professional Development (OGAP) is focused on professional development, mentoring, prioritizing student interests and needs, and facilitating effective communication between graduate students, faculty advisors, and university administrators. http://ogap.graduateschool.ufl.edu/
• The biomedical sciences graduate program has first year mentoring groups to support first year students as they transition into graduate school. The groups, which include a graduate faculty member and 1-2 advanced graduate students, offer students with a “home base” of support until they choose a research mentor in the spring/summer: https://biomed.med.ufl.edu/students/first-year-students/first-year-mentoring-group-information/
• In the biomedical sciences also has a buddy program that matches advanced COM graduate students with incoming first year students to help ease the transition into graduate school, and the Gainesville community.
• On-site day care is available, providing a convenience resource for graduate students with young children: https://babygator.ufl.edu/
• Graduate students with and without families have access to convenient and affordable Graduate/Family Housing on campus or in the newly-developed Continuum Graduate Community: https://www.thecontinuumforufgrads.com/
• The International Student Center serves as a central resource for international graduate students regarding visa status, as well as resources and benefits they are eligible for during their stay in the United States: https://internationalcenter.ufl.edu/about-ufic/our-services
• Through a collaborative effort between the UF CTSI, UF Health Office of Biomedical Research Career Development, and the 6 colleges of the UF Health Sciences Center, multiple Grad Student & Postdoc Career & Professional Development programs are offered for students: https://graddev.ufhealth.org/
• UF’s MD-PhD Training Program hosts an MD-PhD Transition Program for Scholar Retention with specific reintegration components. https://mdphd.med.ufl.edu/our-program/orientation/md-phd-transition-program/

Efficiency of Practice (Learning)

• All new graduate students participate in a comprehensive orientation program to assist with their transition to graduate school and introduce them to the program and resources: https://biomed.med.ufl.edu/students/first-year-students/new-student-orientation/
• Graduate students develop an individual development plan (IDP) to guide their training. This enables students to create a self-assessment of their goals, values, and interests; allows programs and mentors the opportunity to aid students in pursuing those personal and career goals; and allows both the student and the program to adapt and modify the plan over the course of a Ph.D. program: https://biomed.med.ufl.edu/students/individual-development-plan-myidp/
• The Clinical & Translational Science Institute offers a number of workshops, webinars, and free services to assist graduate students in designing studies, preparing grants, recruiting participants, conducting statistical analysis, and other aspects of the research process: https://www.ctsi.ufl.edu/research/
• The MyIRB system streamlines the process of research approval through the UF IRBs, with all aspects of the review process completed online to minimize the amount of time, effort, and paperwork needed to receive approval: http://irb.ufl.edu/myirb/myirb.html
• The UF Health Science Center librarians offer free literature searches conducted by librarians to assist graduate students with literature reviews for grants, articles, or other scholarly endeavors: https://library.health.ufl.edu/help/literature-search/
• Extensive Interlibrary Loan Services are available to help graduate students access hard-to-locate references for their scholarly work: http://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/accesssupport/InterlibraryLoan
• Graduate students have access to the UF Writing Studio, which can help them to become more effective writers. This free service provides the opportunity to work one-on-one with an experienced graduate student writing tutor in individual, half-hour sessions: https://writing.ufl.edu/writing-studio/for-students/
• Special Writing Workshops are also available specifically to introduce graduate students to tactics for planning, writing, and revising their research to produce polished, clear, and highly efficient prose.: https://writing.ufl.edu/students/writing-workshops/
• The Public Speaking Lab offers assistance to graduate students seeking to develop effective speaking skills. The speech lab is a free service and provides an opportunity for individuals to brush up on this critical communication skill: https://cwoc.ufl.edu/programs/public-speaking-lab/about-the-public-speaking-lab/
• Various other professional development resources are available to graduate students through different offices and programs. A partial listing is available at: https://biomed.med.ufl.edu/students/professional-development/
• Graduate student travel funds are available for students who are attending conferences as a presenting author: http://graduateschool.ufl.edu/prospective-students/funding/travel/

Personal Resilience

• The Office of Student Counseling & Development provides confidential, short-term, personal counseling to the graduate, medical, and physician assistant students in the College of Medicine: https://counseling.med.ufl.edu/
• The UF Counseling & Wellness Center offers a number of mental health services for graduate students, including psychiatry and psychotherapy, groups, workshops, and other resources: https://counseling.ufl.edu/
• The Student Health Care Center offers primary and specialty care services for students at the University of Florida: http://shcc.ufl.edu/
• UF GatorWell offers a number of health promotion services and resources for students in the UF Community and their spouses: http://gatorwell.ufsa.ufl.edu/
• The UFCOM, UF Health, the University of Florida, and Alachua County/Gainesville have a huge variety of wellness-related resources available for medical students. Check out the Resources Hub here: https://wellness.med.ufl.edu/resources/

• Access to 24/7 Crisis Services offered through U Matter We Care program: https://counseling.ufl.edu/services/crisis/

Enjoying Recreational Facilities at Lake Wauberg