Student Wellness

Wellness Events Calendar

This calendar hosts a variety of events offered through collaborative efforts by the VTC School of Medicine, the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, VT Hokie Wellness, and the Roanoke Graduate Student Association.

Wellness Weekly

Every Thursday, employees and students on the Roanoke campus receive this newsletter which includes resources, events, and wellness news.

Personal & Professional Wellness

Balancing academics, family, and personal needs can be challenging. This section provides resources and offers ideas.

• 2 Riverside Wellness Room Reservation Page
• Lactation Spaces on the Roanoke's Campus:
  • 2 Riverside, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, 2nd floor Wellness room. For questions about accessing this space, contact Elvir Berbic.
    
  • 2 Riverside, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, 1st floor women's restroom. (Entry code available at the 2 Riverside reception desk).
  • 4 Riverside, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Room 1006 (Entry code available at the 2 or 4 Riverside reception desk).
• Sensory Space in 4 Riverside, Room 1006
  • This versatile room serves as a dedicated space for sensory regulation and decompression, providing a calming environment for those who seek moments of tranquility and relief. Whether you are looking for a quiet space to recharge, engage in sensory activities, or simply find solace, the Sensory Space is thoughtfully equipped to meet these needs. It includes a chair that can recline into a bed, floor cushions/pillows, dimmable overhead light, color changing lamp with optional reading light, adjustable heater/fan, coloring books and coloring pencils, assorted fidget toys, and noise cancelling headphones and headphone covers.
• Get Involved at VTC through Clubs/Orgs/Sigs
• HEART - Healthy Eating and Assessment Referral Team
• Mentoring Communities
  
• SafeZone Team
  •  Safe at VT
• Title IX Support
• Helpful Resources
  • Childcare Resources
  • Healthy Sleep
    • Sleep Tips Flier
    • Wellness Weekly, Sleep Series, Part 1 Page 5
    • Wellness Weekly, Sleep Series, Part 2 Page 5
    • Wellness Weekly, Sleep Series, Part 3 Page 5
    • Wellness Weekly, Sleep Series, Part 4 Page 3
    • sleepwithmepodcast.com
    • Sleeping Well in the Digital Age - Georgetown University
  • Time Management
    • Fogg Behavior Model
  • 10 Ways to Build Resilience (Wellness Weekly topic 10/28/2016)
  • 15 Scientific Ways to Relax
  • 20 Ways to Pay It Forward Around Roanoke
  • Things to Do Around Roanoke
  • Places to volunteer
  • VTC Roanoke Favorites - a list of favorite hangouts, barber shops, activities, festivals, etc.
  • The Star Line Trolley
  • VTC Staff: Employee Assistance Program & more

Mental & Emotional Wellness

There are myriad resources to support employees and students seeking to find the right connection(s) and/or tools for mental and/or emotional wellness. You are not alone. If you or someone you care about needs support, please reach out.  

• Self-Assessment Tool
• Counseling & Psychiatry Resources
• Psychological Testing Services Providers
• Off-Campus Providers (found under "Refferal to Resources" tab).
• TimelyCare 24/7 Telemedicine
  
• Emergency After-Hours Support: CONNECT 540-981-8181
• Helpful Resources
  • Wellness Room in 2 Riverside (reservations required)
    
  • Virginia Tech Chapter of Active Minds
    (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram)
  • Preventing Medical Trainee Suicide
  • Virginia Safe Haven for Medical Professionals
  • Mental Health America of Virginia Warm Line
  • Confronting Cognitive Distortions
  • Surviving Residency & Beyond Podcast Series (Drs. Simonds & Sotile)
  • Podcasts for wellbeing
  • AAMC Well-being in Academic Medicine Website
  • ACGME Well-being Website
  • Mindfulness Resources

Physical Wellness

Taking care of our bodies fosters a variety of personal health benefits. This section offers a list of resources and support services.

• Primary Care Physicians
  
• VTC 2 Riverside 2nd floor Gym and Turnaround
  • The 2 Riverside gym is open to employees and students. There is an occupancy max of six people and masks are encouraged. Employees and students can now reserve a space in the gym (4 people) and reserve a Peloton (2 people). Individuals are limited to one reservation per day. 
  • If you cannot access the reservations links, please contact Elvir Berbic.
  • If your proxy card needs activation to access the VTC gym, please contact one of the following indiduals: FBRI employees and students (except TBMH students) should contact Billi Hutchings. TBMH students should contact Veronica van Montfrans. VTCSOM employees and students should contact Angelica Witcher Walker, PhD.  
• VTC 2 Riverside Turnaround (located behind the 2 Riverside building)
  • The area behind the 2 Riverside building houses an outlined pickleball court and a basketball goal. The equipment such as basketballs and pickball paddles and balls can be checked out from the VTCSOM library during regular business hours.  The area under the building also has picnic tables, a foosball table, and a ping pong table. The pickleball net is also housed in the same area and can be rolled out.
• Roanoke County Carilion Wellness
  • All students enrolled on the Roanoke Campus have access to a Carilion Wellness membership. If you are a student enrolled on the Roanoke Campus and not taking advantage of this service, please contact Ali Cross at VT Rec Sports to learn more about how you can activate your membership.
• Helpful Resources
  
  •  Get the Facts Series By Adam Heilmann, Class of 2019
  • VT Rec Sports
  • VT Rec Sports Courses On Demand
  • Home Fitness Ideas
  • The McAfee Knob Trail Head Shuttle Service
  • Tabata Interval Training
  • CDC Guidelines for Exercise
  • Recommended Article Promoting Regular Exercise by Medical Students
    --- Dyrbye, L. N., Satele, D., & Shanafelt, T. D. (2016). Healthy exercise habits are associated with lower risk of burnout and higher quality of life among U.S. medical students. Academic Medicine : Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000001540 [doi]

Academic Wellness

Connecting and engaging with VTCSOM academic resources supports optimal learning outcomes. This section lists a variety of academic wellness resources and services.

• Academic Counseling
• Disability Advocacy & Support Services
  
• Connecting with the Peer Educator Program
• Helpful Resources
  
  • Cool Places to Study Around Roanoke
  • Spots Around the HS&T Campus to Study

Financial Wellness

This section offers resources to help students and employees manage their budget.

• Hokie Perks
• Scholarships and Financial Aid
• Ideas for food and activities on a budget
• Budgeting and money-saving tips
• The Star Line Trolley

Interpersonal Wellness

Feeling connected, supported, and having a sense of belonging are foundational to academic success. To that end, please explore the services and resources in this section.

AAMC Resources:

• AAMC Beyond the White Coat Podcast
• AAMC Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity in Medicine Resources

• Academic Medicine December 2020 Supplement: Addressing Harmful Bias and Eliminating Discrimination in Health Professions Learning Environments 
• Academic Medicine December 2020 Supplement

Roanoke Community Connections:

• City of Roanoke
  

VT Campus & VTC School of Medicine Resources:

• Gobbler Connect - VT Student Life Events & Organizations
• Hillel at Virginia Tech
• InclusiveVT
• InclusiveVTCSOM Task Force
• Interfaith Program at VT
• Ombuds Office
• Services for Students with Disabilities
• The Women's Center
• VT Alumni Affinity Groups
• VT Alumni Multicultural Societies
• VT Community and Culture Centers
• VT Community and Culture Centers Intro Video
  • American Indian & Indigenous Community Center
  • Asian Cultural Engagement Center
  • Black Culture Center
  • El Centro - Hispanic and Latinx Cultural Center
  • LGBTQ+ Resource Center
  • Intercultural Engagement Center
• VTC Resources for Learning, Working, and Wellness (access granted only to individuals with VT email addresses)
• VTCSOM Clubs, Organizations and Student Interest Groups
• VTCSOM Inclusive Excellence and Opportunity
• VTCSOM Inclusive Excellence and Opportunity -Student Engagement Opportunities