Faculty participate in Resilience Through Creativity exercise
A new wellness initiative from the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development offers UTHealth Houston faculty the opportunity to explore creative writing in an effort to reduce faculty burnout.
“The Office of Faculty Affairs is focused on well-being in order to assist our faculty in reducing stress levels and allow them to enhance and enjoy their work in teaching, patient care, and research,” explained Nahid Rianon, MD, DrPH, associate dean for Faculty Affairs.
Rianon said she had personally experienced the positive effects of reflective writing and sought to offer a creative outlet to faculty in a virtual setting.
“I thought, if I can find an activity that people can participate in from where they are and at a time when they don’t have to take off or affect patient care,” explained Rianon, professor of geriatric and palliative medicine and Memorial Hermann Endowed Chair, “it doesn’t cost us much, but that one hour, which can positively contribute to their health. At the end, I feel that the event really impacted our mental space, where we were all thinking and involved, which was the key; we belonged there together.”
The office collaborated with the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics to put the plan in motion, scheduling the virtual event from noon to 1 pm.
“The McGovern Center is becoming nationally recognized for our focus on arts and humanities in medicine, and writing is a major part of that,” said Nathan Carlin, PhD, director of the McGovern Center. “We are so pleased to have a creative writer on staff with us, leading us in our efforts.”
That creative writer is Pritha Bhattacharyya, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow in the McGovern Center, who with Renee Flores, MD, associate professor in internal medicine, led the online group of about 30 faculty, providing a writing prompt, which did not have to be used. After about 10 minutes of writing, participants opted to share their writing–or to just listen.
“It’s very heartening and exciting to see the literary arts flourishing within UTHealth Houston,” Bhattacharyya said. “It’s an honor to be a witness to the stories and reflections of these healthcare professionals. I hope that Resilience Through Creativity and similar initiatives will foster a growing sense of medical community and connection throughout the greater Houston area.”
Flores, director of graduate medical education in Humanities and Ethics, agreed, “As a physician deeply rooted in reflection and narrative medicine, it is inspiring to witness the growing presence of the humanities amongst the McGovern faculty. These creative expressions offer a powerful lens into the inner worlds of healthcare professionals. Programs like Resilience Through Creativity offer more than just a platform for healthcare professions’ reflections—they help knit together a stronger, more compassionate medical community.”
All participating faculty members expressed interest in having this event again.
“I was very appreciative of the opportunity to get to know and connect with members of our community while attending the Resilience Through Creativity writing event in February,” said one participant. “While only an hour across lunch, the structure, concise guidance, and exercise were very helpful for me as a beginner with regard to creative writing and introspection. I look forward to the next opportunity!”
As a result of the initial success, Rianon said she plans to offer the program twice a year. She said she would like to work with faculty affairs leaders from other schools and expand to faculty of all of the UTHealth Houston schools.
Valerie Guerrero and Kiera Bright from the Office of Administration and Faculty Affairs assisted with the coordination of the event.