Fellow Life

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Group photo in front of Little Thistle Brewery

Fellowship Culture is hard to put on a website, but it plays an essential role in wellbeing. Each class and cohort will build its own traditions, from BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area) canoe trips and North Shore hiking weekends, to pumpkin patches and apple orchards in fall, Twin Cities concerts, ice fishing, and State Park explorations. Fellows compete in pickleball leagues, start running clubs, organize group trips to Twins games, hike the bluffs, and explore everything Rochester and the region have to offer.

In addition to activities and get-togethers, you’ll always have fellows looking to share meals together. Between the Rochester restaurant scene on Friday nights, the weekly Farmers Market haul, and the rotating who's-hosting-dinner tradition among fellows, food is a genuine connector in this community.

All of this drives genuine connection, supported by Mayo Clinic’s collaborative culture. This institutional culture of collaboration across disciplines is palpable, and just as present in the fellows’ workroom as in the hospital and clinic. Fellows share resources, cover for one another, celebrate each other's professional achievements (publications/awards), and personal lives (weddings/children), and often remain close friends for life. You're not competing for cases or credit, but working together to learn, grow, build, and further the field.

Life in Rochester

Our fellows love the small town safety and conveniences paired with the big city entertainment and diverse restaurants Rochester has to offer. With live concerts, craft breweries, and over 3,500 acres of parks and trails, it's never hard to find something to do. Learn more about our community and what our fellows love about living here.

Wellness initiatives

As a fellow, your physical and mental health is a priority to both Mayo Clinic and the department. Trainees have access to several resources to promote well-being, as well as time off clinical duties to attend appointments.

Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center
Well-being
Groups on campus

Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center

Trainees taking a yoga class at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Trainees have access to the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center (DAHLC), which is located on both Mayo Clinic campuses (downtown and Saint Marys) in Rochester, Minnesota. This state-of-the-art fitness facility offers basic classes (including free weights, stretching, cardio, and more), drop-in classes, evaluation services, group training, virtual personal training, and virtual wellness coaching.

Membership to the DAHLC is available at a low cost to trainees and their families through payroll deduction.

Video: Dan Abraham Health Living Center
Video: A look inside the Dan Abraham Health Living Center

Well-being

Cardiovascular diseases fellow works on a computer at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The Office of Academic Support and Well-Being provides resources to promote academic, emotional, social, cognitive, financial, and physical well-being. Career and academic services include academic advising, peer tutoring, and accommodations for learners with disabilities or health conditions. Mental health services, counseling, interview practice, and a variety of enrichment sessions on topics like budgeting, resiliency, and stress and burn-out are also available through the Academic Support and Well-Being office.

Groups on campus

Several groups on campus help you connect with other fellows and their families, such as the Mayo Fellows Association, the Mayo Families' Connection, and Mayo Employee Resource Groups. Several groups on campus help you connect with other fellows and their families, such as the Mayo Fellows Association, the Mayo Families' Connection, and Mayo Employee Resource Groups. These groups help enhance your training by providing and organizing wellness initiatives and social activities.

Workshops for spouses and significant others are also available.

Belonging and inclusion

We strive to recruit and develop clinical leaders who are representative of our broader community and to foster a culture of safety and belonging for all staff, students and patients. We are all responsible to and for our community which in turn provides a solid clinical foundation and encourages individual development, while fostering an environment of scholarly inquisitiveness, commitment to excellence, and creativity.

You'll have the opportunity to be a part of:

Regularly scheduled Women in Medicine events, with participation by leaders across the institution.
Mayo Employee Resource Groups (MERGs) are employee-led affinity groups to promote belonging, increase cultural awareness, and foster an environment of respect and inclusivity. Any Mayo Clinic employee can join a group of interest and choose their level of involvement.
The OUTList, an internal resource created by the LGBTI MERG that promotes community, visibility, and mentoring among Mayo's faculty, staff, and trainees by identifying LGBTI mentors within Mayo Clinic interested in being a resource for others. All Mayo employees are welcome to contact individuals on the OUTList for advice and networking.
The Student National Medical Association and National Medical Association conferences, which provide a place for you to share and learn best practices.
The Mayo Clinic Trainee Belonging Committee, a group that recruits and mentors applicants including those from underrepresented backgrounds in medicine.

Destination Medical Center

Skyline in Rochester, Minnesota.

The state of Minnesota has partnered with Mayo Clinic and others to develop Rochester as a global Destination Medical Center. This 20-year economic development initiative aims to create the highest quality patient, visitor, and community member experience in Rochester both now and in the future.

Current priorities include:

Discovery Square. This 16-block sub-district is a science hub where world-leading medical practitioners, educators, researchers, and businesses connect.
Heart of the City. The core of downtown Rochester, Heart of the City, extends and enhances public spaces to create active and engaging experiences for fellows and visitors with activities and events, hotels, restaurants, shops, and boutiques.

As a Destination Medical Center, Rochester is a great place to live, work, and play.