Student Life

Apply for a Wellness Initiative Grant Here!

Pritzker Student Support & Wellness Information

The Wellness Initiative at the Pritzker School of Medicine is lead by Wei Wei Lee, MD, to equip students with life-long skills to enhance their health and well-being.

All Pritzker Students are eligible to apply for a Wellness Grant. Each grant is awarded up to $50. Once a student receives approval (via email), they will make tax-exempt purchases (tax exempt form) that they will later be reimbursed for, via the Wellness Grant.

(See the Student Reimbursement & Process Timeline for more information on this).   

Wellness Grant Application: Keep in Mind 

-Grant request due at least 1 week in advance of event;
-Do not make any purchases prior to receiving an approval email from PSOM staff;
-Review approval email prior to purchases (to ensure purchases will be reimbursable);
-Use Tax Exempt form (any tax paid will NOT be reimbursed); and
-Any requests for more than $50 will require additional steps (student will be contacted via email). 

You'll be contacted via email on the status of your grant request (approval / denial). If you have any questions, please reach out to pritzkerstudentaffairs@bsd.uchicago.edu .

Scroll to the bottom of this page to see examples of requests that were approved, and requests that were denied. 

Student Information

Event Information

Is this open to all 4 classes?

Funding Request

Impact

Please keep in mind that the proposed event should not conflict with the MS1 and MS2 course schedule or other events included in on the Pritzker Events Calendar. Also, if you are approved for funding, we will ask you to provide us with feedback following the event.
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Examples - Approved and Denied Wellness Grant Requests

  • Funding to support events, activities, and initiatives that aim to help students maintain a healthy body, healthy mind and healthy life as they make their way through the rigorous curriculum of medical school. The more creative, the better!
  • Attendance must be open to either a single class, or all classes (ex: request for the M1 class, request for all years – M1s, M2s, M3s, & M4s).
  • Funding cannot go toward: Alcohol (policy)
  • Likely Denials: Funding requests for food-centered events, for events that are funded by other sources, for events that don’t align with the mission and may be better suited for a different funding source, requests for events that have limited / restricted attendance, etc.
  • If you’re not sure if your request is something that the Wellness Grant funding can go toward (excluding policy restrictions like alcohol and gift cards), we recommend going forward and submitting a Wellness Grant Request. You’ll receive notification of the approval or denial for your request.
    • Why a Request would be Denied: The reasoning for a denial is based on the goal of maximizing the limited funding available for Wellness Grants. We hope to support as many requests as we can that help align with and help to further our Wellness Initiative here at Pritzker. If you receive a denial and have any questions, please let us know.

Ex 1: Request for supplies for Knitathon event to make hats, scarves, and headbands to distribute at homeless encampments in Chicago.

  • Connection to Mission: This event will bring students across classes together to do spend time together and do something important for the community. Wellness funding will be used to be able to have enough supplies to include everyone who wants to participate! Additionally, knitting and crocheting is very relaxing and will be a great way for everyone to decompress in the midst of finals and the end of the quarter.

Ex 1: Request for Wellness Grant Funds for an event already receiving i2i Grant Funding, and more so aligned with the i2i mission. In order to spread the wealth and hopefully impact a larger number of students, in most cases, Wellness Grants wouldn’t be awarded to events that are already funded.

Ex 2: Request for supplies for Fall Cookie Baking and Decoration Social event.

  • Connection to Mission: The goal of the event is to provide M1 students a space to build community, learn how to decorate cookies and bake as a way to decompress and practice self-care during the intense Head and Neck unit in Anatomy. We also hope that this event will advance the Emotional and Social facets of the Pritzker Wellness Initiative. Many of our classmates have expressed interest in more class wide events and spaces to build community so we hope this event will be one of those spaces and events.

Ex 2: Request for a Wellness Grant for a Dean’s Council Student Org activity. Since student orgs already receive funding through Dean’s Council, Wellness Grant funding wouldn’t be awarded.

Ex 3: Request for funding for Self-Care Movie Night event.

  • Connection to Mission: For the mindfulness and sleep week of the Wellness Challenge, this Self-Care Movie Night is an opportunity for students to relax with skincare face masks and watch a movie with friends! To be purchased: face masks & popcorn & snacks.

Ex 3: Request for a Wellness Grant for a Social Rounds event. Social Rounds is an event that is heavily funded through Dean’s Council. Due to the limited funds of the Wellness Grant, the request was denied as to not put more funds toward an already significantly funded event.

Ex 4: Request for funding for Mario Kart Tournament Event.

  • Connection to Mission: This tournament style event would be great for a large number of participants. I want to do an activity that is slightly different than stuff we have done in the past to really involve everyone and encompass everyone's interests and will also promote cross-class interactions! Snacks and supplies will be purchased to support the event.

Ex 4: Request for a Wellness Grant to pay for a dietary friendly meal at a restaurant. While snacks may be a part of a request, Wellness Grants aren’t meant for food centered events. In trying to maximize the limited Wellness Grant funds, funding a meal doesn’t really align with the mission and doesn’t have a large student impact (considering limited students would be able to attend & enjoy this event).

Ex 5: Request for funding for Fall-ing in Love with Art event.

  • Connection to Mission: This event will be a night of arts and crafts for the M1 class. We will be offering watercolor-based postcard making, acrylic painting on canvases, and coloring, and offering fall themed drinks such as hot-chocolate, apple cider and tea. The goal of the event is to provide M1 students a space to continue maintaining connections after anatomy while also exploring art as a hobby for self-care. We also hope that this event will advance the Emotional and Social facets of the Pritzker Wellness Initiative. We hope students will walk away from this event with creations and memories they will treasure.