Students, staff find opportunities to give thanks, talk about gratitude
Leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday was a stressful time for Penn State College of Medicine students with exams, work and the loneliness caused by COVID-19.
Some College of Medicine staff and students hoped to provide a positive outlet for students and an opportunity for them to think about their gratitude.
Lauren Talhelm knows it has been really difficult for students, learners and staff who can’t get together as they did prior to the pandemic. She was the main organizer of an event held in the dining rooms at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Talhelm and coworkers set up a table and distributed food and small gifts.
Talhelm, who works in the Graduate Medical Education (GME) Office, gave away food planners, snacks, coffee mugs, mindfulness materials and gift cards. The event was for residents, fellows, program directors and GME coordinators. Talhelm said the goal was mainly to boost the morale of residents and fellows.
“We heard positive things from people including ‘I appreciate this, I really needed this today,” she said, adding the idea for “GME WE Are Thankful” came from residents who suggested a “drop-in” event.
College of Medicine students wrote who they are grateful for this year on the “Gratitude Wall” in the student lounge.
Event coordinators also sent “Thankful Boxes” that included items given away at Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health St. Joseph and Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College. Many people put their thankfulness thoughts down in words while they visited the table. Talhelm emailed the responses out to those in the graduate program.
One response included gratefulness for the hospital operators. “They are a legendary group of calm and willing people who work to help you figure out who you need to get to,” the message reads. “The hospital wouldn’t run as smoothly without them.”
Caroline Eisele, a first-year medical student, took the idea of thankfulness in a different direction. Using a large piece of poster board, Eisele created a “Gratitude Wall” in the student lounge at the College of Medicine and allowed students to write out what and who they are grateful for this time of year.
“It is a challenging time and it was nice to have something positive to see in the lounge as people passed through it,” she said, adding it was a way to allow students to do something together even while they created their messages separately.
Dr. Emmanuelle Williams, associate dean of student affairs, held a virtual student “Friendsgiving” dinner for medical school students where guests were asked to refrain from talking about the pandemic or classes. Instead, everyone talked about their gratitude toward others. The group of students who attended dinner – everyone made their own meal – relaxed and shared stories about Thanksgivings past.
“It was a very warm feeling,” Williams said of the Nov. 19 event. “People are going through a lot right now and I am very happy we did this.”
Williams, Talhelm and Eisele all say they want to do their pre-Thanksgiving projects again next year, but they all also hope people will be able to share their gratitude in person with others by then.
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