Connections, colours and cuddles at wellbeing event
Liverpool Student Doctors had the opportunity to get their heads out of their books last Wednesday for an afternoon of fun, relaxation and connection at an event led by the School’s Wellbeing Team and LivPsych Society.
Cedar House was positively buzzing with positive vibes as the students got the chance to cuddle up to three very cute therapy dogs, Ralphie, Lottie and Lemmy - expertly handled by Clare Grimshaw, Peter Fleming and Rob Ward from Therapy Dogs Nationwide - as well as interact with VR dogs via a pilot programme developed by PhD student James Oxley.
The DAVE (Dog Assisted Virtual Environment) model has been developed with funding from the Dogs Trust, by the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC) in collaboration with the University of Liverpool. It is currently being used in research to assess human behaviour in the presence of a dog displaying aggressive and non-reactive behaviours.
James explains, “For the purposes of the wellbeing event, a non-reactive virtual dog model was used within different environments and the size and coat colour of the dog was also changed between participants."
The session was well attended and highlighted the interest and enjoyment that people have in using virtual reality and the high levels of immersion it provides. This points to the potential uses of the virtual dog models in future research and the benefits it may provide for users such as in education, stress reduction and/or dog phobia treatment.
Project PI and supervisor Dr Carri Westgarth, senior lecturer in human-animal interactions, says, “This project is an exciting way to enable interaction with dogs in environments or contexts for which a live dog may not be possible or ethical. It always surprises us how real the virtual dog feels when interacting with it.
The VR dogs were a particular highlight for Student Doctor and LivPsych Wellbeing Representative Laura Vernon.
"This was the first time I had experienced VR and it was so immersive, it felt like I was in the room with the dog! It was fun seeing others interact with the VR dog too, as you could follow what they could see on the computer screen. A few of us started a game placing a hat on the dog’s head, which made everyone laugh. A big thank you to James Oxley for taking the time out to share the fantastic VR experience."
Student Doctor and LivPysch President Will Smith says, “I particularly enjoyed trying the virtual reality - the research project the gear was developed for is pretty fascinating too."
I hope the afternoon increased the visibility of the Wellbeing team and some of the work they do. I found their mindfulness classes really beneficial when I went along to them before my exams last year.
A whole host of other activities ran throughout the afternoon in the student hub area, with colouring books, origami and jigsaw puzzles scattered about for students to enjoy, all accompanied by the sweet sound of live music from the School of Medicine’s performing arts society Artefacts.
Students could also take part in a mindfulness session with Coach Pip Bellis and a de-stress workshop, run by Rachael Fell from the Be Free Campaign, which was founded by Student Doctor Shantanu Kundu.
Student Doctors Jed Winstanley and Shantanu Kundu
Student Doctor Jed Winstanley helped organise the event in his role as LivPsych’s Community Lead this academic year.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to everybody that managed to come down and make the Wellbeing Wonderland such a brilliant afternoon!
I would also like to thank the Wellbeing Team for taking so much time to support us in putting on the event as well as the Therapy Dogs Nationwide charity, James Oxley, the Artefacts performers, the Be Free Campaign charity and Mindfulness Practitioner Pip Bellis.
My personal highlight was the Mindfulness session kindly facilitated by Pip. Between placements, deadlines and upcoming exams, it's no wonder that as medical students we rarely take the time to stop and just be in the moment.
The skills Pip guided us through in the session definitely provided this opportunity and we hope that some of the other activities on offer throughout the afternoon helped you to do that too.
I will definitely be booking onto the next 'Soothe Your Mind' course and incorporating some of the mindfulness techniques into my routine as exam season approaches!”
Student Doctor Rachael Elliot was also one of the event organisers, "I really enjoyed the therapy dogs! It was a great way recharge before exams and meet new people too"
Clare Grimshaw is Team Lead for the Liverpool branch of Therapy Dogs Nationwide.
“Our visits provide positive emotions of joy, happiness and help to improve mood, bring down stress and anxiety and increase engagement in group environments, which also helps reduce withdrawal behaviours and loneliness. The dogs provide unconditional love, which is priceless."
It was a privilege and a pleasure to spend the afternoon with the wonderful medical students and see them relax and talk with each other. They are an inspiration!
Director of MBChB Wellbeing Service Alison Threlfall also thanks all the students who attended the event.
“LivPsych were fantastic partners in organising the event. It was lovely to see so many of you enjoying the activities and the food, and especially the live music which created such a chilled atmosphere."
It was a great way to get together, acknowledge the stress students feel at exam time, and promote how we can support each other.
Discover more
- Keep an eye out for Soothe your Mind mindfulness sessions and other Wellbeing activities in the weekly student bulletin and on the Med Extra events calendar (link).
- Interested in exploring the different ways the Wellbeing Team can support you? Take a look through the Wellbeing section of the student intranet (link) or book an appointment to meet with a Wellbeing Advisor via the School booking system (link).
- Keen to get involved with LivPsych? Check out their website (link) and page on Liverpool Guid of Students (link).