Resident Life

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Mayo Clinic Neurologic Surgery residents baseball team

Wellness initiatives

As a resident, your physical and mental health is a priority. You will 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.

Well-being

Cardiovascular diseases fellow works on a computer at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The Student Services office provides resources to promote academic, emotional, social, 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 counseling, interview practice, and a variety of enrichment sessions on topics like budgeting, resiliency, and stress and burn-out are also available through the Student Services 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.

Life in Rochester

Rochester is the third largest city in Minnesota with a population of 1 approximately 20,000 in its metro area. Known as "Med City," Rochester has been voted by Money and U.S. World News & Report as one of the best places to live in the U.S., with the perfect combination of convenience, cost of living, and culture.

Our residents 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 residents love about living here.

Recreation

Are you a great outdoorsman? Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. Let us show you some of the greenery we have to offer.

Hike: Minnesota is home to 75 state parks, Voyageurs National Park, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. With infinite trails to explore, waterfalls to chase, and sites to camp, there is no shortage of hiking activities here. Some of our favorite nearby parks are Whitewater State Park and Frontenac State Park.

Snowshoe and ski: Many trails in our state parks become snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling trails in the wintertime. The snow-covered trails are beautiful in the wintertime and allow us to be outdoors year-round. For downhill skiing, Welch Village is 30 minutes outside of Rochester and has day passes. Some of our staff have been known to organize night ski trips there.

Paddle: Minnesota actually has 11,842 lakes filling 10 acres of land. With this much blue, it’s no surprise that canoeing and kayaking are huge sports in Minnesota. Our program organizes a yearly trip to the BWCA, where there are plenty of canoe and portage trails and camping sites.

Cycle: Rochester has 85 miles of bike trails. In addition, the Root River trail and Douglas trail nearby are well-maintained state trails that are great for weekend rides. We have trails for mountain bikers, too!

Dog parks: Do you have a pup? Don’t worry, so do most of the residents in our program. We love our furry friends, and there are plenty of off-leash dog parks in and around Rochester for our dogs to roam free. Some of our favorite parks in town in Rochester are River Road Dog Park and Foster Arend Park, where your pup can swim freely.

Around town

Thursdays Downtown: Rochester’s staple summertime event! A weekly street festival with live music performances and an artisan and food market held just outside of the Gonda Building. Residents often gather during a clinic lunch break or after wrapping up cases in the OR.

Rochester Farmers Market: Held on Saturdays year-round, and also on Wednesdays during the summer months.

Down by the Riverside Concerts: Summertime free concerts are held every Sunday night at Mayo Park, along the Zumbro River.

Rochester Honkers Baseball: Rochester’s home baseball team and member of the Northwoods League. The Honkers play at Mayo Field, which features a party deck in left field with unlimited food and drinks - our favorite way to cheer on the team!

Social Ice: Social Ice is Rochester’s annual ice bar event held in February! Over 30,000 people gather outside in downtown Rochester for three days of themed ice bars, life-sized ice sculptures, nightly DJs, and more!

Movies in the Park: Free outdoor movies under the string lights of Historic Central Park. All you need to bring is a blanket or lawn chair of your choice!

Program activities 

The program has a relatively full calendar of fun and funded social events in Rochester scattered throughout the year, such as sub-I and applicant interview dinners or bar nights, the departmental holiday party, a bowling tournament with the OR staff, the annual July 4th barbecue, and the annual Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament in NYC! 

Destination Medical Center

In 2013, the Governor of Minnesota signed a bill known as Destination Medical Center (DMC) — a $5.6 billion collaboration between Mayo Clinic and the state of Minnesota to make Rochester a global destination for health and wellness. DMC is a 20-year plan of economic development, innovation, and growth.