Virtual dance party uplifts medical students and faculty

Dr. Fun hosted a dance party to boost the heart rates and spirits of medical students.

"Being active isn't only good for your heart – it's a mood-lifter, too," said Lynn Batten, M.D., aka Dr. Fun. "It's important to get away from the computer or social media for a while every day (unless you're Zoom-dancing with friends!) and do something that gets that heart rate up and makes you sweat."

Inspired by Zoom's gallery view, Batten, associate professor of pediatrics, internal medicine, and physiology and cell biology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, used the video conferencing platform to host the online dance party. Dancing to Sam Hunt's "House Party," medical students, deans, faculty and staff joined the party with their families, housemates and pets.

While maintaining physical distance, Batten encourages students to stay connected to one another in other ways.

"I think it can be very lonely to be isolated at home without that everyday connection to others we've been used to," she said. "It actually took me by surprise how happy it made ME to see all the students' faces the first time we did a Zoom class with 68 first-year medical students attending!"

Watch Dr. Fun's House Party on YouTube.