Be prepared—the motto of the Boy Scouts of America—was on full display recently when Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) students teamed up with volunteer Scouts leaders for the First Aid Through First Class hands-on training event.
PCOM Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) students helped teach first-aid skills to more than 30 scouts, ranging in age from 11 to 18, from Greater Philadelphia. Skills included transporting, wound care, splinting, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and first aid for heat-related injuries, stroke and bites. With supplies donated by PCOM, scouts also assembled their own first-aid kits.
Conceptualized by Troop 1719 Scoutmaster Ann Perrone, the second annual event, held Dec. 7 at First United Methodist Church of Germantown, helped scouts satisfy first-aid rank requirements. The program was promoted by Nicole Fulton, chair of the Northern District for Cradle of Liberty Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and Jon Fullenwellen, field director of the Cradle of Liberty Council.
Erik Langenau, DO, MAPP, a professor of Pediatrics and former scoutmaster, coordinated PCOM student participation in the event and said he enjoys merging teaching, volunteering and scouting.
“Children make us better as adults,” he said. “A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. Who doesn’t need more of these things? Who wouldn't benefit from seeing these 12 scouting principles in action? How we live scouting in our everyday lives, what scouting calls ‘scout spirit,’ brings meaning to our lives.”
Medical student Chloe Markovich (DO '27), co-president of PCOM's Robert Berger Pediatrics Club, said she especially enjoys volunteer opportunities with the club.
“Most of the time practicing medicine is structured and formal, but working with the pediatric community allows you to have fun and think outside of the box in order to communicate and educate in a way that children can understand and relate to,” she said.
For her, the most rewarding part of First Aid Through First Class was seeing how excited the boy scouts were to learn through hands-on activities like CPR, which they may someday use in an emergency.
“They were so well educated and passionate about basic first aid and survival skills that I couldn't help but think about how some of them may very well become physicians as well in the future,” Markovich said.
Student volunteer Jonathan Wells (DO '28) said he went into medicine because he loves helping people. Community service reminds him why he chose this path.
“It was interesting being able to relate the textbook knowledge I gained from my courses into first aid,” Wells said. “Most notably, it was rewarding to learn to simplify the information so that the younger generation could easily understand it.”
One of those lessons: How to remove an imbedded fishhook from skin, which is a skill not typically taught in medical school. “These PCOM students now know how,” Langenau said, adding, “Children and adolescents have a lot to teach us, and these PCOM students benefited from this opportunity at this event.”
For the past 125 years, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
Brandon Lausch
Executive Director, Strategic Communications
Email: brandonla@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6312 | Cell:
717-371-0609
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