CFMS National Wellness Challenge

What is the National Wellness Challenge?

The National Wellness Challenge (NWC) is a month-long, nationwide event that seeks to promote wellness among Canadian medical students during the months of January and February. Over the course of 4 weeks, participants are encouraged to try new health-supporting behaviours and build healthy habits through the form of challenges centred around a weekly theme. In response to the changing health priorities of medical students today, our current weekly themes have shifted to emphasize Nutritional Wellness, Physical Wellness, Psychosocial Wellness, and Life Outside of Medicine. As well, with the new limitations on communication and connection imposed by the COVID19 pandemic, the NWC has also striven to connect medical students from across the country through establishing a welcoming online community that supports students during their wellness journey. All in all, our hope is to not only dispel stigmas surrounding wellness and foster sustainable resiliency practices in the future generation of physicians.

How does the challenge work?

Students can register for the NWC as an individual or as part of a team of up to 4. For each week, there is a list of challenges to be completed, which are split up into daily tasks and weekly tasks. Daily tasks are specific to the day they are assigned, whereas weekly tasks can be completed at any time during the week. As the different facets of wellness are all deeply intertwined with each other, we have included not only tasks relating to the weekly theme, but tasks from other weeks to encourage continuity as well as the integration of all aspects of health. The emphasis is not on doing all the challenges, but rather picking and choosing tasks that best suit the participant and their unique lifestyle. As Wellness means different things to different people, the most important goal of the NWC is participation - as such, all submissions will be entered into the weekly prize draw regardless of the number of challenges completed. There will be a winner for each of the individual and team streams each week! With each week, there will be a new draw.

Social Media Challenge:

Each week, there will be an opportunity for participants to show off their accomplishments that week on social media, either through the CFMS Connects page or through tagging @CFMSFEMC on Instagram or Twitter. Participating in the Social Media Challenge will add 10 points to total weekly points, which will go towards their school’s total points at the end of the 4 weeks. Please see the next section for more information about how the school points work.

School Participation Challenge:

At the end of NWC, the school in each competition region (Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, and Western Canada) with the highest proportional participation, as calculated by the total number of challenge points divided by the student population of the school, will get $200 in funding towards a future Wellness Initiative. So, make sure to invite all your friends and classmates to join the NWC!

Why should I participate?

• Motivation to start all those New Year’s Resolutions and work towards a healthier you

• Awesome prizes (i.e., air fryer, smart alarm clock, portable coffee press, Amboss subscription) that are both practical and aesthetic

• Becoming connected to a community of medical students invested in improving their personal wellness

• Chance to explore new wellness practices/habits that can be easily incorporated into your daily lif

• Earn some funding and clout for your school

More questions?

Ask your local Wellness Representative or visit your school's National Wellness Challenge Facebook page

Contact us CFMS at [email protected]