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The Well-Being concept is an important pillar of the strategic plan of the faculty, concerned with the environment, general mood, relationships within and between groups and building trust. It’s aiming to make employees and students happy and satisfied, thereby strengthening the structural immune system of the faculty. To boost physical and mental wellbeing, departments of the faculty will organise events for an entire month starting with September 30. The events should be interesting, fun and more importantly, useful for every attendee. We discussed the events with the manager of the Well-Being concept, and head of the Deans’s Office, dr. Zsuzsanna Varga.

written by Rita Schweier

- How will the one-month-long chain of events contribute to the main goal of the Well-Being concept, supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of students and faculty employees?

- The Well-Being concept’s main goal is, among others, ensuring possibilities for building connections, providing experiences to last a lifetime and to make faculty citizens feel good, all in the name of healthy lifestyle. We have organised several programs around these ideas in the Well-Being month, which could all contribute to making the daily lives of our employees and students better.

- You have prepared a colourful chain of events, how did it come together?

- We have started multiple workgroups, and the creation of the event is the result of the cooperation of several departments. The events are organised around the thematic of Health Planning, Physical Health and Environmental Elements, Mental Health and Sport and Recreation, also paying attention to some special areas both for employees and students. Various departments of the faculty took part in the organisation, the variety of the events is the fruit of their labour.

The Marketing and Communication Department helped with the production of marketing materials and promotion of the events. The Health Planning project was led by professor dr. István Kiss, head of the Department of Public Health. The Physical Health and Environmental Elements event is headed by dr. Andrea Horváth-Sarróti assistant professor; Mental Health events are coordinated by dr. Boróka Gács research associate professor. Laura Csík, head of the Student Service Department and Bernadett Potos, head of the Quality Management and Institutional Development Department focused on the special student and employee areas. The Sport and Recreation project is led by dr. István Karsai senior lecturer, director of the Sports and Physical Education Center. The Well-Being month is therefore the result of true teamwork.

- Multiple programs already have a tradition at the faculty, like the Bicycle Breakfast and the Cereal Bar Day. What other new opportunities will await students and employees?

- We would like to promote a healthy lifestyle by providing faculty citizens with fruit, we will install fitballs in multiple locations, organise yoga sessions and spine training outdoors, and those interested can also take part in Zumba lessons.

We will organise a faculty recipe competitions, provide dietary advice and help with creating exercise plans. We will conduct a survey about mental health, provide consultations and coaching opportunities and promote relaxation with meditation training. We will take part in the Light Festival and contribute to appropriate time management with roundtable discussions and workshops. Moreover, we will launch the #pécsiorvosi (#medschool) podcast.

- How will you be able to measure the success of the programs?

- By keeping track of direct registrations and competition signups and feedback, and subjectively based on how enthusiastic faculty citizens will be at the prospect of the events, how they relate to them. We hope that many will participate in the free counselling and dietary consultations, or create their own exercise plain.

The goal is to help employees and students integrate their new knowledge into their everyday lives, making them healthier and fitter. Studies show that efficiency is the result of happiness, but success does not necessarily mean happiness.

The goal of the concept is ensuring that Medical School students and employees are happy and satisfied, thus strengthening the immune system of the entire faculty.

- What can we expect going forward, will there be similar events during the rest of the academic year?

- Yes, constantly. The Well-Being Concept of PotePillars exists and “thinks” together with the other pillars. It is in closest cooperation with the Infrastructure concept, as is shown in the way we create a more liveable environment, ensuring the requirements of workspace wellbeing.

The fruit and cereal bar days will happen every month, and mental and physical health consultations will also be ongoing to ensure that working and studying here remains a joyful experience, and everyone feels good here both physically and mentally. 

For the detailed programme of the Well-Being month  click here.