After Hours

Retreats

• Intern Retreat: A weekend retreat in early fall (for interns only) to relax and reflect after the first three months of residency.
• Fall Housestaff Retreat: An all-day, all housestaff retreat with full coverage that focuses on different topics each year (leadership, curriculum, teaching skills, etc). Resident input is solicited to plan the activities and discussion topics. There is also time for Academy activities and a Happy Hour.
• Spring Housestaff Retreat: Another all-day all housestaff retreat. This retreat serves as a forum for reflecting on the year, discussing new topics in pediatrics, and brainstorming ways to improve the residency. The spring retreat also includes the BCRP Olympics, a series of competitions in things like hula hooping between the various chief families, all capped off with a Happy Hour.
• Rising Junior Orientation: An all-day, intern only retreat focused on preparing interns for the responsibilities of the junior year, including increased autonomy and resident and medical student teaching. Capped with a Happy Hour.
• Rising Senior Orientation: An all-day, junior only retreat focused on the role of the senior resident, including leadership, how to be an effective teacher and team manager, communication skills, and the like. There is also a Happy Hour and time to socialize as an entire residency class.

Winter Formal

Each winter, the House Staff Association organizes a formal dinner and dance for all residents, significant others and invited faculty, either at the Harvard Club, the Trustee’s Ballroom at Boston University, or other venues around the city. The formal features the annual, hotly contested Resident Class Dance Off between classes. All residents are covered from hospital responsibilities during this event.

The Spring Show and Housestaff Association Auction

The BCRP house officers produce an annual show: a comedy “spoof” of the faculty and the vagaries of residency. The show is a long tradition and provides an opportunity for housestaff to showcase their remarkable singing, dancing, instrumental, organizational, video production, and comedic talents.

The Show concludes with an auction of items donated by faculty or community businesses. These include everything from books and wine to cooking lessons, a weekend at a summer home, Red Sox and Patriots tickets, or one year, a new Vespa. All proceeds go to the House Staff Association to support residency-wide events throughout the year.

Chief Family Dinners and Events

Each Chief organizes a quarterly (or more often) dinner or social event for the 25-30 residents in their Chief Family. These dinners and events are excellent opportunities to relax, unwind and enjoy each other’s company in a more intimate setting with residents from each class represented. Recent gatherings have included BBQs, cookie-decorating parties, and game nights.

House Staff Association Functions

The House Staff Association sponsors frequent evening get-togethers at restaurants, bars and other locations around Boston.

HEAL Activities

Humanities, Ethics, Arts Leaders (HEAL) group of residents organizes bimonthly arts-related events such as writing retreats, visits to the amazing local arts museums, and attendance at the Longwood or Boston Symphony concerts or the Boston ballet

Diversity Council Social Events

The Diversity Council hosts events every month or. These range from dinners at faculty homes or favorite Boston restaurants, movie outings, ice skating, community salsa dance classes, and more.

Resident Get-Togethers

The residents arrange many other events together including Halloween parties, weddings, karaoke nights, skiing, ice cream parties, apple picking weekends, theme dinners, bowling parties, Red Sox and Celtics games, dessert parties, and more.  In recent years the residents have averaged one or more social events each week!

Many more examples of residents having fun together.

Sports

Many BCRP residents participate in organized sports. Various groups of residents have organized BCRP softball, basketball, and soccer teams in leagues throughout Boston, and some even won their leagues! One fairly recent example was the Malpractice Dodgers,  a team of BCRP residents, alumni, and significant others that played in a league in Hyde Park. Other residents take advantage of hiking and biking trails trails in Boston and the region or have memberships in local gyms such as the YMCA, Crossfit or Boston Sports Club. Harvard University and Harvard Medical School athletic facilities are available to residents for a small fee, and residents enjoy benefits of discounted memberships at many gym facilities across the city. Harvard Medical School has a gymnasium, squash courts, extensive exercise equipment and an outdoor tennis court.

Fitness

Blue Cross Blue Shield. BCBS offers its members up to $150 in reimbursement for membership or exercise classes at a health club, including the YMCA or Curves. The facility you choose must have a vast array of cardiovascular and strength-training exercise equipment. Fees paid for attending aerobics/fitness classes at a qualified health club without an annual membership will also be covered, but make sure you get full documentation from the club. For more information, check out theBlue Cross Blue Shield website or call 1-800-241-1263.

Harvard Athletic Facilities. To join the Harvard athletic centers, you must have a Harvard ID. For more info visit: Vanderbilt Hall Athletic Facility and Harvard Recreation