Welcome to Well at Weill! Weill Cornell Medicine aims to mold the best future providers and scientists who are not only leaders in their field but also exhibit the compassion, care, and dedication that is so fundamentally tied to the practice of medicine.
Your individual well-being is multidimensional, complex, unique, and evolves over time. There is much you can do to help improve and sustain your well-being during your time here in medical school. However, we at Weill Cornell also understand that while your individual actions and attitudes can greatly shape your well-being, there are many broader external factors that can influence wellness ranging from the medical school to the hospital, to your local community, and to the greater society and world at large.
On a broader level, much work is being done to assess and improve the state of well-being of students, residents, and attending physicians at Cornell and beyond. We recommend taking a look at the links at the end of this page to look at various initiatives at WCM and beyond.
At Weill Cornell medical school, the Be Well Collective is a monthly meeting with the student wellness representatives and the Assistant Dean of Well-Being and Student Engagement. The Be Well Collective strives to maintain and implement new and improved programming to best meet the wellness needs of our students. It is open to all students. Please reach out to the wellness representative in your class or contact the Office of Student Affairs if you’d like to get involved.
To provide our students with building blocks to develop and exercise a foundation of wellbeing, we have developed Well at Weill, our center of programming and resources designed to help you:
- Develop personal skills to build and maintain your wellbeing in all its dimensions: physical, intellectual, emotional, financial, occupational, spiritual, environmental, and social
- Respond and react to stressors in ways that allow you to feel stronger and more engaged, rather than more depleted and demoralized
- Experience inclusion and a sense of belonging within our WCM community
- Increase your ability to find meaning in your experiences, within and outside of school
- Enable you to succeed as leaders
Components of Well at Weill
Wellness Events
Please see CampusGroups and join the Be Well Collective group to see a calendar of Wellness Events.
Physical Wellness
There are many aspects to physical wellness including a nutritious diet, staying hydrated, regular exercise, and consistent good quality sleep. There is no one “right” way to optimize this, but we do provide some useful resources that can foster your physical wellness that you will find below.
For annual checkups or if you are feeling unwell, please call or visit:
Fitness
Yoga:
Weill Cornell Medicine offers free yoga classes for students every Monday and Wednesday in the Feil and Weill Family Residence Hall.
Student Clubs:
Weill Cornell student clubs cover a wide range of subjects including fitness and health. Some activities include Running, Basketball, Swimming. For more information on the Fitness and Wellness student groups, please visit the Special Interests and Recreational Groups website and at CampusGroups.
Additional resources around the Upper East Side and NYC:
The Upper East Side has a wide range of fitness facilities that are available for fitness enthusiasts. Nearby facilities include the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation – Recreation Center 54, a recreation center with a pool for access to year-round swimming and aquatics programs. Asphalt Green is a fitness facility that offers high-quality sports, swim and fitness instruction and provides student discounts. Just show your student ID at the front desk.
Sleep
Sleep is a critical component to overall wellness. Getting an adequate amount of good-quality sleep each night will help you feel energized and ready to take on the day. Below, please find some useful resources that can help you better understand your sleep patterns and improve your sleeping habits.
Nutrition
Nutrition is key to staying healthy and feeling well. It is important for your self-care to listen to what your body is telling you in terms of nourishment. Below please find some useful resources to better understand how to maintain balanced nutrition, affordable, quick and health recipes, suggestions on meal prepping for the week.
If you have issues regarding food insecurity, please feel free to reach out to the Office of Student Affairs to see how we can help. There are also local community resources that might be helpful:
The College Student Pantry: http://www.collegestudentpantry.org/
The College Student Pantry is a food pantry program for college and graduate students in NYC. The Pantry is run by student volunteers and is there for any student who needs some food. No questions asked.
Pantry Open Hours & Location:
1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month
4:00-7:00pm during the school year
4:00-6:00pm during the summer (May 20-August 19)
Located at Trinity's SAFH in the East Village
602 E. 9th Street (at the corner of Ave. B)
Share Meals : https://sharemeals.org/
Share Meals is a digital platform where students can share extra meal swipes and post extra food from club events with students who are food insecure.
It works in real time, based on your location. You can find extra food within a 5-minute walking distance with one quick glance.
Food Bank NYC : https://www.foodbanknyc.org/get-help
Food Help NYC : https://foodhelp.nyc.gov/
Intellectual Wellness
Weill Cornell aims to provide an intellectual and academic environment where students can grow and succeed. The volume of information that you learn during your medical school years is immense and tremendously important to retain so as to take the best care of your patients.
- Dr. Jennifer Patel, Learning Specialist – tutoring
- Student Disability Services
- Curriculum – Clerkship Council
- Peer to Peer Mentors during Clerkships
- Laptop loaners
- Learning Disability Accommodations
- Library resources
Emotional Wellness
Emotional well-being involves mental health and psychological wellness but also includes being able to adapt to the challenges and stressors of medical school and life in general. Understanding how your environment directly impacts your emotions can help you take control over the things that bring you happiness and the things that bring you stress. There are a wide range of tools and resources that help you develop proper self-awareness. Below, please find some useful resources that can foster emotional well-being.
Peers Advocating Wellness (PAWs):
PAWs mentors are WCM medical students who have received training and guidance from WCM Student Mental Health Services faculty.
You can chat with them about anything you might be struggling with including but not limited to:
- Adjusting to life in NYC
- Adjusting to medical school
- Coursework
- Academic/Career goals
- Concerns about friends/family
Please find PAWs on Campus Groups and connect with them there if needed. You can also reach out to the current student leader of PAWs: saa4069@med.cornell.edu.
Spiritual Wellness and Mindfulness
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a quality of awareness that includes the ability to pay attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.
- Mindfulness on Call - WCM Psychiatry
- Mindfulness meditations
- Mindfulness behaviors
- Mindful timeouts
- Noting Exercised
- Mindful first-aid
Cornell University - Cornell Health - Tips and Information to help you thrive. Online guided meditation videos
The New York Times has a extensive section on wellness, filled with interesting research, fun activities such as How to Meditate and Meditation for Real LifeMeditation for Real Life.
WCM Student Mental Health Services
Having purpose and meaning in life increases overall wellbeing and life satisfaction. Taking the time to reflect on the positive impact of your work allows you to develop a sense of purpose and empowerment. Below, please find some resources that help promote spiritual well-being.
Religion and Spirituality at Weill Cornell Medicine
The Weill Cornell student community strives to provide means to allow its members to express themselves spiritually and religiously. Please visit the Student Clubs for more information.
Weill Cornell/ NYP also houses the Leland Eggleston Cofer Memorial Chapel, located near the main entrance at 525 East 68 Street and is open at all times for those needing a quiet place for prayer, meditation, and personal reflection.
Having purpose and meaning in life increases overall wellbeing and life satisfaction.
Social Wellness
Social connection is one of the most important components of wellness. It is critical to have a strong network of friends, family, and colleagues to reach out to in a time of need but your network also helps combat the feeling of loneliness and isolation. Below are some useful resources that will help you develop a healthy sense of community.
- Student Houses: social activities and peer mentorship
- CampusGroups: a huge variety of groups to join and meet new people who share similar interests
- Be Well Collective: monthly meetings where we work on initiatives to help foster more community events at WCM.
Did you know: Social connection leads to a release of oxytocin which dampens the stress response by inhibiting the Amygdala. Biologically, isolation is toxic to the human nervous system.
There are several ways students can get involved in the Medical school and Graduate school. Please visit the Medical School's Student Group and Community page for more information on Community Service, Policy & Advocacy, Fitness & Wellness, and a variety of leisurely activities. The Graduate School's Student Clubs and Initiatives page also lists a variety of activities that promote fitness, sports, outreach, research, policy, and leisurely activities.
Financial Wellness
The mission for the Office of Financial Aid is to administer financial aid and provide comprehensive student financial aid counseling. The services include to help support students with:
- Financial aid applications
- Comprehending relevant federal legislation and regulations
- Managing resources and debt
Email: finaid@med.cornell.edu
Additional Student Resources
The Student Ombudsmen Office offers a safe place where all students at Weill Cornell Medical College and Graduate School of Medical Sciences may discuss problems or issues. Henry W. Murray, MD (hwmurray@med.cornell.edu) (212-746-6330) is the Weill Cornell Student Ombudsmen.
Weill Cornell Medical College is committed to providing an education and living environment free from all acts of sexual misconduct, and will not tolerate misconduct against students, staff, faculty, alumni or visitors. Brittney Blakeney, JD, (bsb4002@med.cornell.edu, tele. 646-962-9796 or cell 718-619-5527) is the Title IX Coordinator and Director of the Office of Civil Rights and Investigations (OCRI).
Teacher Learner Committee
The Teacher-Learner Committee is the body charged with monitoring, reviewing, investigating and aiding in the resolution of mistreatment issues in the Medical College. Please visit their website for more information.
Keith LaScalea, M.D., FACP
Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Student Life
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
studentaffairs@med.cornell.edu
646-962-4940
646-962-4413 weekends and evenings
Joshua Weaver, M.D., FAAN
Assistant Dean, Student Wellbeing and Engagement
Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology
studentaffairs@med.cornell.edu
646-962-4940
646-962-4413 weekends and evenings
Dana L Gurvitch, M.D.
Assistant Dean, Student Professional Development
Assistant Dean of Clinical Curriculum
studentaffairs@med.cornell.edu
646-962-4940
646-962-4413 weekends and evenings
Joy Deanna Howell, M.D.
Assistant Dean, Access, Belonging and Student-Centered Success
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
studentaffairs@med.cornell.edu
646-962-4940
646-962-4413 weekends and evenings
Judith Cukor, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs – Graduate School
juc2010@med.cornell.edu
212-746-4492
Lisa Sombrotto, M.D.
Director, Student Mental Health Program
lsombrot@med.cornell.edu
Edgar Figueroa, M.D.
Director, Student Health Services
efiguero@med.cornell.edu
646-962-6942