More than 50 AHEC Scholars participated in a session about adverse childhood experiences as part of the AHEC Scholars Program at NEOMED on Saturday.
Virginia Pfaff, a psychiatric nurse at Cleveland Clinic Akron General, explained that experiencing adversity in childhood can have a significant impact over a person’s life, resulting in ill health, poor wellbeing and in some cases, premature death.
By learning about adverse childhood experiences, the scholars will be better prepared as future health professionals to understand, recognize and devise strategies that build resiliency in trauma-impacted individuals.
The AHEC Scholar Program provides an interprofessional, team-based education to undergraduates, preparing them to help underserved communities in urban and rural areas as health professionals. The program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ohio Department of Education.
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-- Submitted by Patricia Thornborough, M.S. Ed., pthornborough@neomed.edu