Amid the growing movement to help people understand the power of focusing on personal strengths and the positive side of life, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) offers virtual opportunities for students and patients alike to learn an holistic approach to positive psychology and how to increase feelings of happiness in themselves and others.
Through coursework that blends positive psychological theory, research and applied approaches, PCOM's online Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program is designed to prepare students to pursue doctoral studies in psychology. As part of the program, MAPP students work with patients in the PCOM Healthcare Centers and help facilitate A Happier You, a seven-week program based in positive psychology and designed to boost participant levels of well-being and resilience.
Jay S. Feldstein, DO '81, president and CEO, sat down recently with Scott Glassman, PsyD '13, director of the MAPP program, for an episode of PCOM Perspectives where they discussed what makes the program so unique, the benefits of offering patient
access to A Happier You, and why positive psychology is a topic that resonates with
the public.
“The MAPP program provides a foundation in the science of human flourishing, which is the study of how we can live our best lives,” said Dr. Glassman. “It gives students the necessary tools to apply that knowledge to create happier individuals, groups and communities.”
Dr. Glassman also highlighted the connection between the osteopathic philosophy of whole-person care and the core elements of the MAPP program. “When you think about the whole person – the osteopathic tradition is rooted in understanding and respecting the whole person – we do the same thing in an integrated way from our health psychology and positive psychology perspective,” shared Dr. Glassman. “We're holistic, but we're also practical and skill driven.”
For patients in the PCOM Healthcare Centers, A Happier You offers an opportunity to learn stress management techniques to help reduce overall stress and increase positive experiences. “They learn how to focus mindfully on small positive daily experiences,” said Dr. Glassman. “Whether that's the cup of tea that they have in the morning or it's a compliment they receive, they are able to expand those moments and really derive a lot more joy and meaning from those things that may be missed.”
Dr. Feldstein and Dr. Glassman also spent part of their conversation discussing the importance of building on PCOM's efforts to increase awareness of and access to mental health resources for students, faculty and staff. PCOM has made a concerted effort to address the student mental health crisis, in particular, though it remains a serious issue nationally, with more than 4 in 10 (42%) students in 2021 indicating they experienced feelings of sadness or hopelessness and nearly one-third (29%) reporting poor mental health.
As PCOM alumni, Drs. Feldstein and Glassman are proud of the community the College has created across three distinct geographic regions and in unique local communities. “Culturally, PCOM and the osteopathic profession has always had a family bond,” said Dr. Feldstein. “Part of family is taking care of each other. It's really about empathy and caring about people – that's the bottom line.”
PCOM has been shaped, in no small part, by the regional culture in which it was founded. Dr. Feldstein reflected on the broader cultural connection points that influence the population’s degree of happiness, but that also make the region so dynamic. “Philadelphia is called the ‘City of Brotherly Love,’ and love has its ups and downs, and you take the good with the bad, but at the end of the day, we've all got each other's backs.”
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
© 2024 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine