“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the Fall." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Happy Fall! As the semester ramps up and we approach midterm, remember that OSS is here to support your success and wellbeing every step of the way.

This month’s newsletter is full of opportunities and resources to help you stay connected and balanced: join the Halloween Scavenger Hunt, take a mindful break with the Resiliency & Well-Being Center’s virtual meditation, explore resources from Talkspace for Substance Use Prevention Month, and read tips for building effective study habits.

To schedule a virtual or in-person meeting, contact our office at SMHSstudents@gwu.edu.

In this edition of the newsletter, you can find the following:

The Student Wellness Committee is having a Halloween Party, and you're invited! 

Stop by the Ross Hall Student Lounge on Friday, October 31st for Halloween crafts (coloring and pumpkin painting), treats, and a costume contest! All GW SMHS students are welcome to join. 

Not on Foggy Bottom Campus? Submit a photo of your costume and enter the raffle below!

We want to see your Halloween costumes! Share your photo to be featured in a collage in the November edition of the Hippocampus Newsletter. Submissions are due by Sunday, 11/2 at 11:59pm.

Your submission enters you into a raffle to win a Jellycat keychain!

The OSS Halloween Scavenger Hunt is BACK and spookier than ever! 💀🦴

On Wednesday 10/22, keep an eye out for 5 tiny skeletons hidden around the Foggy Bottom Campus. Follow us on Instagram (@gwoss) for clues on where they're hiding.

Find and return a skeleton to OSS to win a Halloween goody bag!

🌟Off-Campus Students: If you are an online or VSTC student, you can still get involved! The OSS website will have 3 hidden "easter eggs" for you to find. Search through the website, and keep an eye out for anything that looks spooky or out of place. Send us an email letting us know what you found to win a Halloween goody bag!

Thank you to everyone who shared a photo! Our GW SMHS students had an eventful summer, from weddings to world travels to time spent recharging in nature.

🌟Congrats to our raffle winner: Christyn Hung (PA student)!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Tie Dye Party! We can't wait to see how your creations turn out. 

We look forward to seeing you at our next event! (See above for details)

*If you are a Health Sciences student interested in joining the Student Wellness Committee, please email us at smhsstudents@gwu.edu to express your interest. 

Thank you to those of you who submitted a DMV recommendation! We received an overwhelming amount of engagement, which resulted in an extensive Navigating the DMV Guide. Click the button above to access the guide. If you have any additional recommendations, or missed our first call for submissions, don't worry! We will continue accepting submissions, and the guide will continue to be updated.

Click the button below to submit a recommendation.

The GroW Community Garden is looking for volunteers who can help out during gardening hours. The garden is located right behind the SMHS building and garden hours are Tuesdays 3-4pm, Thursdays 1-2pm, and Sundays 10am-12pm. You can register for a shift clicking the button above or scanning the QR code on the flyer. Come join us for some time in the sun and help grow produce that will be donated to Miriam's Kitchen!

The GW SMHS Recipe Book is available for you to view! Click the button above to access it. We will continue adding to the recipe book and updating it each month with the release of our monthly newsletter. Please submit your favorite recipes below so this project can continue to grow!

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Have a go-to meal that gets you through tough weeks? A favorite dish that always brings comfort? Share it with your fellow students in the first-ever SMHS Community Recipe Book! We’re collecting recipes from students across SMHS to create a digital recipe book filled with quick bites, hearty meals, tasty desserts, and more!

*Recipes do not have to be entirely your own; feel free to submit links to recipes you have found online that have become a favorite!

October seasonal produce includes: apples, grapes, carrots, winter squash, figs, broccoli, spinach, and more!

For this month's seasonal recipe, try out this Black Bean Butternut Squash Chili recipe! Need tips on cooking butternut squash the easy way? Check out this article from Simply Recipes.

Oktoberfest at the Wharf - 10/4, 2-7pm: Don a dirndi or lederhosen and make your way to The Wharf for its free annual Oktoberfest celebration. The Wiener 500 Dachschund Dash kicks off the festivities, followed by a stein-hoisting championship and Polka on the Pier, which includes a free polka dance class, live music and a best-dressed contest. Admission is FREE.

Boo at the Zoo - 10/17-19, 6-9pm: Boo at the Zoo is the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s beloved family-friendly Halloween celebration. Put on your favorite costume and explore the Zoo after hours, collecting treats at 30 trick-or-treat stations throughout the park. Watch as animals enjoy jack-o'-lanterns and other spooky enrichment surprises, and stroll past whimsical Halloween scenes featuring skeletons and fantastical creatures along the main walkway. 

Other spooktacular entertainments: 
🎃 Live giant pumpkin carving on the Conservation Pavilion patio 
🧙 A roaming magician performing spellbinding tricks 
👻 A troupe of costumed actors bringing Halloween characters to life throughout the park 

Your ticket includes exclusive after-hours access to the Small Mammal House, Elephant Community Center and Reptile Discovery Center plus a souvenir tote bag to collect your Halloween haul. 

Fall Festival at Summers Farm - Through 10/31: Experience the magic of fall at Summers Farm in Frederick County, Maryland! Just a short drive from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, our festival is the perfect fall escape! With pumpkins to pick, an iconic corn maze to explore and 45+ fall fun activities you'll be sure to make unforgettable memories. From picture-perfect photo ops to unforgettable family memories, Summers Farm is where fall comes to life! Online tickets are around $15.

Student Wellness Committee:

"The Wellness Committee is a group of elected students from all programs within the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences with a passion for promoting wellness in our community. We believe that as students who are training to become healthcare providers, it is critical that we learn to care for ourselves by nurturing our own personal health and wellness, as we strive to care for others. This committee seeks to promote wellness by organizing events and initiatives that enhance student wellbeing and strengthen relationships within our programs. We consider many dimensions of wellness and work with the Office for Student Support (OSS) to ensure accessibility to resources and safe spaces, as well as provide events like movie nights, picnics, cookie decorating, therapy dogs, and other initiatives to promote connectivity and healthy habits." - Student Wellness Committee Leadership

For information on how to join the Student Wellness Committee, or to send suggestions/ideas for wellness events, please send them an email.

SMHS Student - Parent Support Network

The Office of Student Support (OSS) is excited to announce an initiative aimed at connecting student-parents across SMHS. We recognize that balancing academic responsibilities with parenting can be challenging, and we want to offer a supportive network to help navigate these demands. By filling out a short google form, you will have the opportunity to receive contact information for other student-parents who are also interested in joining this network. Click here to fill out the form.

Student Organizations: Interested in joining one of the 80+ student organizations SMHS has to offer? You can find a full list of them here, updated every semester.

Want to start your own organization? The Medical Center Student Council provides guidance on the process on their website, with enrollment periods open twice a year.

October 10th is World Mental Health Day. Stop by OSS (Ross 202) the week of October 6th to pick up a Mindfulness in Nature kit to help you practice mindfulness for your own wellbeing. The kit includes information on forest bathing, a journal, a fidget toy, and mindfulness tips. We encourage to take your kit outside and practice mindfulness to celebrate World Mental Health Day!

*PT and OT students: We will bring these materials to OSS office hours in your space on Tuesday, 10/7, 12-1pm. Stop by to chat with us and pick up a Mindfulness in Nature kit!

World Mental Health Day shines a spotlight on the importance of mental wellbeing. It’s a moment to raise awareness, challenge stigma and advocate for stronger policies and services to support mental health for all. It reminds us all that mental health is just as vital as physical health. Check out the World Mental Health Day Webpage for more information.

On Wednesday, October 8th, join Dr. Viktoriya Karakcheyeva, MS, NCC, LCP, LCPC-SP, LCADS, from the GW Resiliency & Well-Being Center for a meditation session over Zoom. All GW SMHS students are invited - we hope to see you there!

October is Substance Use Prevention Month, a time to focus on reducing or ending the harms of drug use and alcohol misuse in our families and communities. A few stats to know:

Sources: Gallup, SAMHSA.gov
 
Now for some good news: Thanks to growing understanding of the science of addiction, ongoing medical breakthroughs, and telehealth options, people experiencing substance use disorders have more paths than ever before to treatment and sustainable recovery. 

Learn more about substance use prevention and treatment:

Expert Q&A: The New Solutions for Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders

How to Talk to Your Partner About Their Substance Use

Talkspace: As educators of our future healthcare professionals, we know how important mental health is and are pleased to offer all SMHS students a free subscription to Talkspace. Talkspace offers unlimited text messaging and four 30-minute video sessions a month with a licensed therapist and is a convenient, clinically effective, and confidential service. You will be matched with a therapist that suits you and your needs via a special algorithm. To register, go to www.talkspace.com/gwu and click "Get Started." You will then be asked to input your contact information and the organization keyword that corresponds with your SMHS program. Keywords include: GWU-MEDSTU (MD students), GWU-HEALTHSCI (Health Sciences students), and GWU-MEDRES (Medical Residents). 

Please note that after 12 months of using the platform, you will need to revalidate your account. You should receive notification 21 days and 7 days before your renewal deadline. Please follow this guide to help you revalidate. If you are unable to revalidate before your deadline, please reach out to Talkspace Partner Support using their Help Desk (click the button below) to be revalidated and request to continue with your current therapist.

Students who experience difficulty registering or revalidating should contact Alex Velto (alex.velto@gwu.edu).

Student Health Center:  The Student Health Center (formally CHC) is open and operating to assist students seeking medical, psychiatric, counseling, and psychological services. Physicians and counselors provide in-person treatment in the office, and virtual appointments are offered during regular business hours. Call 202-994-5300 to schedule an appointment.  

Hours:

Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm (ET); extended hours until 7pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Saturday: 12:00 pm-4:00 pm

Sunday: 12:00 pm-4:00 pm on the Mount Vernon Campus

Resiliency and Well-Being Center: OSS frequently collaborates with the GW RW&C on matters related to individual and group well-being. The R&W Center takes an evidence-based, whole-person approach in the health and wellness (well-being) services it provides to the GW medical enterprise—SMHS, GW MFA, and the GW Hospital.  The R&W Center provides individual, departmental, and institutional-level services.  

Additional Resiliency and Well-Being Center workshop information can be found here.

Tips for Building Good Study Habits by Alex Velto, MSc, Associate Director of the Office of Student Support

When thinking about developing new study strategies or improving your time management, it may be helpful to remember that these behaviors are simply habits like any other. If you have trouble implementing new habits – whether it’s in your academic life or your personal life – consider the following tips:

1. Trust your gut - there’s no “right” or “wrong” time to implement a new habit

You may be in your first semester or last semester. You may have been in school continuously, or been working in the industry for 20 years prior to this. You may have an exam in a day, or in a month. Regardless of your situation, if you feel like there’s a strategy or behavior you want to implement that would help your academic or personal life, it’s ok to begin to implement it.

2. Understand what strategy/behavior you want to implement, and what strategy/behavior you want to replace

This may sound simple, but it’s much tougher to eliminate a bad habit without implementing a good habit in its place. Instead of saying “I want to be on my phone less while I’m trying to study,” you could say “I am only going to look at my phone for five minutes at the top of the hour, and then put it away.” The more acutely you are aware of your strategies/behaviors, the easier it will be to implement a better one.

3. Break things down into small pieces

When implementing new strategies/behaviors, it can be less overwhelming to start small. Try a new studying technique with just one lecture’s worth of material to get the hang of it before moving on to implementing it across all of your classes. If you’re implementing a plan for a full day of study, think about what material you might cover each hour, rather than viewing the day as a monolith.

4. Give yourself grace

Habit building can be difficult, and while it’s natural to feel dejected if you forget to do (or not do) something, it ultimately takes several weeks for a behavior to truly be ingrained in our daily life. Instead of spending energy on possible negative thoughts, channel that into noting your behavior. Is there something else going on that may be preventing you from implementing this habit effectively? What tweaks might you need to make to your initial strategy to make it effective for you?

5. Remember the goal

Implementing a change is a lot tougher in a vacuum, so if you get stuck, remind yourself of your original goal. Making a change to your habits can be easier if you focus on better test scores, improved sleep, more time with friends, or whatever your desired outcome might be as motivation.

6. Ask for help

Whether you need help identifying bad strategies/habits, developing good strategies/habits, or simply want someone to help hold you accountable to your plan, it’s ok to ask for help! Talking through your thoughts with your support system can be incredibly helpful. The OSS team knows that no one strategy fits everyone and is ready to talk through individualized plans with you.

You are always welcome to stop by our office or schedule a meeting to discuss how you can best implement these strategies. 

CV Support: We have a dedicated faculty advisor with whom you can schedule appointments to review and revise your CV. To schedule an appointment, email OSS  with your request and attach any resume or CV documents you may have. If you have never created a CV before, we are happy to work with you and share our template.

Learning Support: Our dedicated learning specialist, Terri Edwards, is available to meet with students to discuss active learning strategies, study strategies and scheduling, test taking strategies, and more. To book an appointment with her, please use her Calendly link.

Peer Tutoring: If you would like to work with a peer tutor, email OSS to learn more about peer-led academic support. 

Small Study Groups: Consider adding small group studying into your academic schedule. OSS assigns students to a study group of 2-5 students; the sessions are facilitated by a student who commits to that role. Groups may choose to meet in person or virtually. Contact OSS for more information to be a facilitator or participant.

Writing Coach: Coaching sessions help students build their writing confidence and develop vital writing skills for writing assignments, personal statements, and professional writing. To receive a referral to the writing coach, please email OSS directly.    

Want to stay up-to date with OSS Events in 2025? Click here to add the Office of Student Support (OSS) Events Calendar to your Google Calendar. You can also check out the Events Tab on the OSS website to see event details.

Interested in meeting with our learning specialist, Terri Edwards? Use Zoom Scheduler to easily schedule a meeting!