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’s (PCOM) 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 PCOM students to formally learn and
interact with children, particularly in their first two didactic years in the classroom.
“As my son aged out of scouting, I found myself searching for new opportunities within
scouting,” said Langenau. Enter PCOM. “I wanted to engage young scouts in something
meaningful,” he said. “Scouting and PCOM seemed to be a great match.”
Throughout his decades of involvement with the program, Langenau has worked to make connections between his scouting experience and his teaching. “As the parent of an Eagle Scout and as a pediatrician, I see a strong connection between scouting and pediatric health,” he said.
For a recent event Langenau helped facilitate with local scout troops called “First Aid Through First Class,” six PCOM 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. “As a first-year medical student, there’s not a lot of time to take a step back and see why I decided to go to medical school in the first place,” said Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) student Alexa Kaminsky (DO ‘27). “This event was not only informative, but it also gave me the chance to spread my passion for medicine with a whole new generation.”
“Medical students are inherently curious,” added Langenau. “They often learn more
from the informal curriculum, the curriculum that isn’t part of classroom teaching.”
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’s passion. “I've just seen nothing but goodness come from the program, whether you make it to Eagle Scout or not,” he said. “It's the life skills—you learn professionalism, you learn discipline, but the most important thing is you actually have fun.”
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. “It'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,” said Perrone.
For his part, Langenau hopes to continue to offer opportunities for PCOM students
to engage and connect with scouts through collaborative events and innovative programming.
“The synergy [between scouts and PCOM students] is extraordinary,” said Langenau. “All providing great opportunities for children and young adults to explore new opportunities and thrive.”
“I am fortunate to have the support of PCOM to bring two of my passions together: scouting and education,” he added. “It’s a win, win.”
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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