Welcoming Wellness

Council Provides Students with Resources, Activities to Improve Well-being 

As students juggle the demands of their studies, extra-curricular activities, domestic obligations and oft-sacrificed social life, UH College of Pharmacy’s Student Advisory Wellness Council (SWAC) encourages Pharm.D. students to improve their mental well-being through events and resources tailored to their needs.

Established in 2019, SWAC is comprised of UHCOP professional and graduate students, as well as faculty and staff, and uses a wellness survey completed by students to assess their needs.

"At that time, we didn’t have a council or committee dedicated to student wellness, but we felt that it was of vital importance to have something in place to help serve as a more preventative means to ensure that our students' well-being was being addressed," said Austin De La Cruz, Pharm.D., BCPP, UHCOP clinical associate professor and SWAC chair.

With two members supporting each class, representatives can keep their "finger on the pulse," according to UHCOP alumna and founding SWAC member Dana Elder, Pharm.D.

"We're always looking for resources that will be actually realistic and applicable," Elder said. "You don't have to be a member of the council to be an advocate for student wellness.”

In spring 2023, the council began hosting yoga classes on Wednesdays, and meditation classes on Thursday, during lunch in response to student interest.

"The curriculum is very rigorous, and you always need something to rely on and to have a little support system, finding ways to de-stress for yourself whether that be yoga, doing stuff that you enjoy, in order to prevent burnout," said P3 student and SWAC council member Connie Lau.

The council releases a bi-annual newsletter with tips not only on improving emotional, social and financial health as well as videos of faculty sharing times they failed and how they overcame obstacles and setbacks.

Open to student input and exploring new ideas, SWAC aims to support students and help them be successful in their studies, careers and lives.

"We have the best students in the country by far, and we want to do everything in our power to take care of them and ensure that this campus is one where they feel safe and supported," De La Cruz said.

— Logan Linder