“TICKET DROP!”: COMMUNITY BUILDING IN RESIDENCY DURING A PANDEMIC

ABSTRACT

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 180 residents in an internal medicine residency program DESCRIPTION COVID-related restrictions on gathering have created challenges to community-building during residency, an important way to mitigate burnout. The ongoing stresses of the pandemic also have led to a sense of “languishing,” which can decrease engagement with everyday activities. To promote community and support resident- driven ideas, we created an innovative “ticket drop” and mini-grant program. Residents were invited to submit ideas for either ticket-based events in the city, or for mini-grants to lead a community-building activity. The Residency Well- Being Committee sponsored one event of each type per month based on evolving COVID guidelines. The committee advertised the ticket drops to all residents, purchased tickets, and allocated them by lottery to ensure equitable access. The initiative was funded by a departmental allocation to the residency program. EVALUATION Ticket drop and mini-grant events generated many ideas from residents and were well-attended. Residents submitted 23 ideas in the first 6 months of the initiative, and we have been able to fund 1-2 per month. Ticket drop events to date included a professional baseball game, a special exhibit at an art museum, and an evening at the science academy. Residents receiving mini-grants have planned a ceramics night, an arcade game night, and a kayaking event. The intervention is ongoing, and we will present final descriptive data about participation as well as survey data about facilitators and barriers to success of each event and the overall effects of this initiative on social cohesion in residency. Early feedback suggests that identifying a resident champion for each event increases enthusiasm, and that having events preplanned overcomes the low motivation that is widespread during the lingering pandemic. Participants also noted learning about new cultural attractions in their city, which deepened connection with the wider community outside residency. Events were attended by residents at all levels of training and promoted cohesion across residency classes. For many events, the impact extended beyond tickets paid for by the residency, as other residents bought tickets for themselves or for their partners. DISCUSSION / REFLECTION / LESSONS LEARNED Our residency ticket drop program is a relatively low-cost, low-effort, moderate-impact innovation that represents a sustainable way to increase connections in residency. A modest financial investment can have a large impact on community building if events are targeted to meet resident-identified priorities. Nurturing interests outside of medicine, such as in the arts, entertainment, or cultural attractions, may allow residents to further connect as humans with diverse interests as well as colleagues.