Health & Wellness

In addition to negotiating the Collective Agreement and improving working conditions, PAIRN also works to improve the well-being of its members. One area of major focus for PAIRN is physician wellness.

Every year PAIRN develops a wellness strategy to promote resident wellness issues. One of the primary areas that PAIRN is focusing its attention on is ensuring that residents are not overworked.

Because Residents are very busy and often aren't able to participate in community events outside of work hours, PAIRN also plans social and family events to help Residents unwind and get to know one another.

To help you stay active, PAIRN members have access to The Works on MUN campus, which includes the Aquarena, Field House and MUN Recreational Facilities. You are also included in a group gym membership for the YMCA in Grand Falls-Windsor and Corner Brook. Please show your MUN ID for access.

PAIRN is also available to help Residents who are experiencing personal or academic difficulties and in the past have sought legal and professional advice for individual Residents.

u Professional Assistance Program

As members of the NLMA, Residents can also access the Professionals' Assistance Program,  a confidential service available to physicians to deal with personal problems that may require assistance or intervention.

The program is coordinated by an experienced social worker who facilitates the early recognition of problems, initiates active intervention and makes appropriate referrals for treatment and rehabilitation.

Referrals may be self-referrals, from concerned colleagues, or from family members.

The service is funded partly by the NLMA and is free to PAIRN members.

The clinical coordinator’s confidential 24-hour answering machine can be reached by calling 709-753-3007 or 1-800-563-9133.

Common problems may include: • Stress • Burnout • Financial problems • Marital or family difficulties • Depression • Inappropriate use of alcohol or other drugs

u National Resident Awareness Day

Resident Awareness Day is an annual event that is coordinated nationally among housestaff organizations in almost every province across Canada. Each year, more than 7,500 Canadian medical residents and approximately 220 from Memorial University, celebrate National Resident Awareness Day, which honours the complex role that residents play in the delivery of health care as students, educators and clinicians.

u Accommodations

PAIRN understands that finding accommodations during your residency may be challenging. Residents are ultimately responsible for finding their own accommodations. However, we will do our best to help provide residents with assistance.

PAIRN is unable to visit or recommend any specific sites, so make sure you visit the rental units yourself to ensure adequate living conditions. Many sites are not able to accommodate pets so please confirm your landlord’s pet policy well in advance as well as the date when it will be ready for you to rent.

Affordable rental units are available throughout St. John's. Accommodations are advertised in local newspapers and listings are posted online by The Telegram and the City of St. John’s.