Problem solving. Teamwork. Leadership development. Communication.
The skills necessary for navigating the ups and downs of medical school share a surprising synergy with the foundational elements of scouting. For Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine鈥檚 (黑料传送门) Erik Langenau, DO, MS, MAPP, chief academic technology officer and professor, pediatrics, the connection was obvious.
Langenau, a pediatric educator, former scoutmaster, and father to an Eagle Scout,
knew there were few, if any, opportunities for 黑料传送门 students to formally learn and
interact with children, particularly in their first two didactic years in the classroom.
鈥淎s my son aged out of scouting, I found myself searching for new opportunities within
scouting,鈥� said Langenau. Enter 黑料传送门. 鈥淚 wanted to engage young scouts in something
meaningful,鈥� he said. 鈥淪couting and 黑料传送门 seemed to be a great match.鈥�
Throughout his decades of involvement with the program, Langenau has worked to make connections between his scouting experience and his teaching. 鈥淎s the parent of an Eagle Scout and as a pediatrician, I see a strong connection between scouting and pediatric health,鈥� he said.
For a recent event Langenau helped facilitate with local scout troops called 鈥淔irst Aid Through First Class,鈥� six 黑料传送门 students from the Pediatrics Club assisted in the coordination of a program designed to teach first aid fundamentals to young scouts, ages 11 to 18. Scouts learned various first aid skills including caring for someone experiencing cardiac arrest, choking, bleeding, burns, and wounds, among other skills. 鈥淎s a first-year medical student, there鈥檚 not a lot of time to take a step back and see why I decided to go to medical school in the first place,鈥� said Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) student Alexa Kaminsky (DO 鈥�27). 鈥淭his event was not only informative, but it also gave me the chance to spread my passion for medicine with a whole new generation.鈥�
鈥淢edical students are inherently curious,鈥� added Langenau. 鈥淭hey often learn more
from the informal curriculum, the curriculum that isn鈥檛 part of classroom teaching.鈥�
Among several troops from West and North Philadelphia to participate in the event was Troop 133b. Scoutmaster Howard Chapman, leader of Troop 133b, shares Langenau鈥檚 passion. 鈥淚've just seen nothing but goodness come from the program, whether you make it to Eagle Scout or not,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t's the life skills鈥攜ou learn professionalism, you learn discipline, but the most important thing is you actually have fun.鈥�
Langenau and the other event organizers were supported by Nicole Fulton, district chair for the Cradle of Liberty Council of Scouts BSA, and Ann Perrone, founder and scoutmaster for Troop 1719 in Germantown. Perrone envisioned organizing this event for years, finally bringing it to fruition with the help of Fulton and Langenau. 鈥淚t's precious to have people who are in positions of responsibility and who have access to resources to share those resources with scouts and scout troops that are typically under-resourced,鈥� said Perrone.
For his part, Langenau hopes to continue to offer opportunities for 黑料传送门 students
to engage and connect with scouts through collaborative events and innovative programming.
鈥淭he synergy [between scouts and 黑料传送门 students] is extraordinary,鈥� said Langenau. 鈥淎ll providing great opportunities for children and young adults to explore new opportunities and thrive.鈥�
鈥淚 am fortunate to have the support of 黑料传送门 to bring two of my passions together: scouting and education,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a win, win.鈥�
Established in 1899, 黑料传送门 has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a 鈥渨hole person鈥� approach to care鈥攖reating people, not just symptoms. 黑料传送门, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (黑料传送门, 黑料传送门 Georgia and 黑料传送门 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. 黑料传送门 students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, 黑料传送门 provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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