Skip to main content
Home

Main Navigation

  • Admissions
    • ADMISSIONS
      • Admissions Overview
      • Admissions Requirements
      • Admissions Assessment
      • MCAT
    • FEES AND FUNDING
      • Tuition and Fees
      • Scholarships
      • Financial Aid
      • Student Finance
      • Partnerships
      • HBCU & HSI Partnerships
    • APPLICANTS
      • How to Apply
      • Canadian Applicants
      • Transfer Applicants
      • International Applicants
      • Career Changers
  • MD Program
    • PROGRAM
      • Program Overview
      • Program Objectives
      • Hospital Affiliates
      • Simulation Institute
      • MD-MPH Combined
    • CURRICULUM
      • MD Curriculum
      • Medical Sciences - Years 1 & 2
      • Clinical Education - Years 3 & 4
      • Clinical Home Offer
      • MedOrigin
    • ACADEMIC RESOURCES
      • Academic Calendar
      • Resources and Student Support
      • Career Advisement
      • Residency Appointments
      • USMLE Information
  • Student Life
    • STUDENT LIFE
      • Student Life Overview
      • Housing
      • Campus Tour
    • STUDENT CULTURE
      • Explore Barbados
      • Teaching Facilities
      • Clubs & Organizations
      • White Coat Ceremony
    • STUDENT SUPPORT
      • Campus Services
      • Safety & Security
  • About
    • ABOUT
      • RUSM Overview
      • Why Ross Med?
      • Facts & Figures
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Accreditation & Approvals
    • IN THE MEDIA
      • Newsroom
      • News
      • Blog
      • On-Demand Webinars
    • LEARN MORE
      • Faculty & Staff
      • Dean
      • Mission & History
      • FAQs
      • Testimonials
  • Apply Now
    • Start Your Ross Med Application
    • Submit Your Common Application

Secondary Mobile Menu

  • Incoming Students
  • Events & Webinars
  • Information for
    • Alumni
    • Admitted Students

Utility Navigation

  • Request Info
  • Apply Now

Secondary Navigation

  • Incoming Students
  • Events & Webinars
  • Information for
    • Alumni
    • Admitted Students
    • Current Students
Search
Cancel Search
Home Home

RUSM Main navigation

  • Admissions

    Explore Admissions

    Are you a strong candidate?

    Take an Admissions Assessment
    Take the Admissions Assessment
    • ADMISSIONS
      • Admissions Overview
      • Admissions Requirements
      • Admissions Assessment
      • MCAT
    • FEES AND FUNDING
      • Tuition and Fees
      • Scholarships
      • Financial Aid
      • Student Finance
      • Partnerships
      • HBCU & HSI Partnerships
    • APPLICANTS
      • How to Apply
      • Canadian Applicants
      • Transfer Applicants
      • International Applicants
      • Career Changers

    Information For...

    Admitted Students

    Parents

    Premed Advisors

    MERP

  • MD Program

    Explore MD Program

    Do you have a question?

    student asking question
    Speak to Admissions
    • PROGRAM
      • Program Overview
      • Program Objectives
      • Hospital Affiliates
      • Simulation Institute
      • MD-MPH Combined
    • CURRICULUM
      • MD Curriculum
      • Medical Sciences - Years 1 & 2
      • Clinical Education - Years 3 & 4
      • Clinical Home Offer
      • MedOrigin
    • ACADEMIC RESOURCES
      • Academic Calendar
      • Resources and Student Support
      • Career Advisement
      • Residency Appointments
      • USMLE Information

    Related Links...

    MCAT Information

    Why Ross Med?

    Match Day

  • Student Life

    Student Life

    img for new Mega Menu
    Overview
    new Mega menu Square 5
    Housing
    New Mega Menu Image 6
    Campus Tour
    • STUDENT LIFE
      • Student Life Overview
      • Housing
      • Campus Tour
    • STUDENT CULTURE
      • Explore Barbados
      • Teaching Facilities
      • Clubs & Organizations
      • White Coat Ceremony
    • STUDENT SUPPORT
      • Campus Services
      • Safety & Security

    Related Links...

    Merchandise Store

    Diversity & Inclusion

    Mission & History

  • About

    About RUSM

    Start Your Road to Residency

    medical students
    Request More Information
    • ABOUT
      • RUSM Overview
      • Why Ross Med?
      • Facts & Figures
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Accreditation & Approvals
    • IN THE MEDIA
      • Newsroom
      • News
      • Blog
      • On-Demand Webinars
    • LEARN MORE
      • Faculty & Staff
      • Dean
      • Mission & History
      • FAQs
      • Testimonials

    Related Links...

    Contact Us

    Campus Location

  • Apply Now
    • Start Your Ross Med Application
    • Submit Your Common Application
  • Request Info
  • Apply Now
    • Start Your Ross Med Application
    • Submit Your Common Application

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. About
  3. News
  4. Value of Mind-Body Medicine in Patient Care
Care for Caregivers

Value of Mind-Body Medicine — Self-Care Equals Better Patient Care

Mon, 19 Oct 2020
Get Started Today

You'll submit your completed Ross Med application online in our application portal.

Apply Now

As future healers of those suffering from physical, mental and emotional turmoil, it has never been more imperative for medical students to practice mindfulness and incorporate wellness into their daily routine. The medical brag sheet of pulling double shifts, fibbing about the maximum hours worked and putting themselves last on the get-well sheet has proven ineffective. It’s time to implement the basics of self-care, something students can learn through the Mind-Body Medicine (MBM) program at Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM). 

“We not only need to train our students to perform well as physicians. We need them to be well,” said Laurie Helgoe, PhD, associate professor of behavioral sciences and MBM facilitator-advisor who promotes mental health and wellbeing. “Residents and physicians are busy dedicating their lives to the care of others. This program can help future physicians become more resilient to stress and burnout while increasing their ability to respond to the emotional needs in themselves as well as their patients.”

The MBM student pilot program began in February, consisting of eight weekly, two-hour group sessions. The last two sessions as well as the current session have been held virtually because of the pandemic. Participants practice mindful self-awareness, sharing and listening without intervening, and a varied menu of mind-body skills — tools applicable for their academic journey as well as in life.   

Ambassadors Carry the Torch

Eshan

“We shared trauma we’d experienced in the past and fear about the future,” said fourth-semester student Eshan Nanda who elaborated on the struggles of first semester. He was one of 10 second-semester students enrolled in the program, and one of nine who volunteered to serve as Mind-Body ambassadors. “Learning these techniques helped me revamp my whole medical school experience; I even got a tattoo to represent how it changed my life.”  

Matthew

The program also strengthened the relationship with his roommate, fellow ambassador and fourth-semester student Matthew Kranitz, who said his grades improved. “I figured out how to prioritize myself and my mental health.” Agreeing with her ambassador peers is fourth-semester student Nikki Carrido. “We really needed to pause and breathe because going into residency doesn’t get any easier.” 

In May, Eshan, Matthew, Nikki and other ambassadors led small-group MBM sessions with interested students and are now partnering with RUSM organizations and departments to spread the word. “You don’t realize how much your mind is calling out for help,” Eshan said. “I now have more tools to combat anxiety. I have faith in myself and a new perspective on med school.”    

Nikki

RUSM staff members also experienced the program’s value by joining one of four mini-sessions led by Dr. Helgoe and MBM-trained faculty. While the virtual setting hasn’t been ideal, participants are embracing the program by shutting off phones, closing windows and not multi-tasking. And it comes with a new level of intimacy because members can share elements of their personal lives through video sessions. 

RUSM leaders recognized the relevance of MBM a few years ago when Hurricane Maria traumatized the campus community in Dominica and prompted a series of stressful transitions. It became apparent, through RUSM’s connection with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, that more intensive wellness education needed to become a staple. “Medical professionals are so used to fixing people and not worrying about themselves, which is central to what degrades mental health,” Dr. Helgoe explained. “This isn’t about giving advice. It’s about being present and people bearing witness to your experiences. There’s a freedom — an outlet that occurs — when you can bring your private experience into a safe-group format. This shatters that isolation for professionals and for medical students who have demanding schedules.” 

MBM university advocates will continue to monitor program progress through student/faculty evaluations and formal research to determine how to best serve a wider audience as the program expands.  

“We need to change the culture in medicine of chronic stress that leads to burnout,” Nikki said. “This program addresses this unhealthy lifestyle we find ourselves in — the all-nighters, running through lectures and going 12 hours straight. Students and physicians need to understand — You Matter. Your Mind Matters. Your Mental Health Matters.”  

Learn More

For more information, please visit the RUSM ambassador social media site or send an email to the MBM team. You can also contact the RUSM Wellness and Counseling Center by emailing Rusmwellnessandcounseling@rossu.edu. 

 

Road to Residency Library

  • Exploring Ways to Keep You Engaged During this Time of Limited Patient Interaction
  • A Peek into the Life of Medical Sciences Student Leah Lochman
  • A Peek into the Life of Clinical Sciences Medical Student Ryan Azarkhail and His Bout with COVID-19

 

If you have a topic you’d like to learn more about, please share your feedback with us.

Share This Article

  • facebook
  • tiktok
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • email

The information and material contained in this article and on this website are for informational purposes only and should not be considered, or used in place of, professional medical advice. Please speak with a licensed medical provider for specific questions or concerns. Ross Med is not responsible for the information maintained or provided on third-party websites or external links.

Related News

Benjamin Taylor and Family
Student
Medical Student Benjamin Taylor Effortlessly Saves Lives Because It’s His Job
Wellness Course 1
Campus
Let’s Keep Mental Health a Priority Year Round
Maria Mejia 6
Care for Caregivers
I Learned to Manage Paralyzing Anxiety and Now Help Others Do the Same
Ross University School of Medicine
Apply Now
Contact Admissions

Campus Address:

Two Mile Hill St. Michael
BB11093
Barbados

 

Admissions Address:

10315 USA Today Way,
Miramar, Florida, 33025
Phone: +1 754.707.5547
Email: Admissions@Rossu.edu

RUSM Footer Sub menu

  • Information For
    • Admitted Students
    • Career Seekers
    • Current Students
  • Navigate
    • About RUSM
    • MD Program
    • Admissions
    • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Student Life
    • Contact Us
  • News & Events
    • Blog
    • News & Press
    • Events & Webinars
    • On-demand Webinars
    • Academic Calendar
Branded Element

© 2025 Ross University School of Medicine. All rights reserved.

Hands-on From the Start®

Academic Catalog | Student Handbook | Student Consumer Information | Online Cookie Policy | Accessibility Statement | Office of Nondiscrimination and Access | Cost of Attendance | Privacy Policy

 

Policy on Non-discrimination

Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) is committed to providing an education conducive to the personal and professional development of each individual and to maintaining an academic environment free of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, ancestry, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, pregnancy or parental status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law in the admission to, access to, or treatment, or employment in any of its programs or activities. RUSM will not tolerate, condone, or allow discrimination or harassment, whether engaged in by fellow students, faculty members or non-faculty colleagues.

Connect with Ross Medical School

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Ross University School of Medicine is accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP, www.caam-hp.org).

 

CAAM-HP is the legally constituted body established in 2003 under the aegis of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), empowered to determine and prescribe standards and to accredit programs of medical, dental, veterinary and other health professions education on behalf of the contracting parties in CARICOM.

Accreditation by CAAM-HP is a rigorous, peer review process which examines all aspects of a medical program. The CAAM-HP board, an independent and autonomous body of professionals, only certifies medical schools which are operating at the highest levels of industry standards.

Through this accreditation, the CAAM-HP provides assurance to medical students, graduates, the medical profession, healthcare institutions, and the public that programs leading to qualifications in medicine meet appropriate national and international standards for educational quality, and that the graduates have a sufficiently complete and valid educational experience.

CAAM-HP logo - transparent

Secondary Footer Navigation

  • Call
  • Chat
  • Request Info
  • Apply