Jessica Luedtke, PA-S AmeriCorps Scholar SERVICE REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR OF PA SCHOOL

First Year Service Requirements All Lock Haven University students are required to complete service hours as part of their degree program Physician Assistant students are required to complete a minimum of 3 community service activities in the first year of PA school (but who wants to do just the minimum?) Serving underserved populations is a major focus of Lock Haven’s PA program and something you will become more familiar with over the course of the didactic year

The Specifics of the Service Requirements 3 Service Activities 2 Medical Service Activities 1 Non-Medical Service Activity Time requirement Make it worth while

What counts as a Medical Activity? Blood pressure screenings Health education programs Glucose screenings Volunteering as an EMT Assisting with migrant worker health clinics Volunteering at a medical disaster preparedness activity Giving flu shots at a community clinic Organizing a blood drive & generating donors

What Counts for Non-Medical Service? Community clean ups Serving food at a shelter or soup kitchen Organizing a food drive Social or crafting activities with the elderly Reading to children Being a Big Brother or Big Sister Volunteering with other community organizations Helping out at animal shelters

How do I find opportunities to serve in my community?

Examples of Local Service Activities Each campus is unique and students will find a variety of activities close to their home campus Coudersport activities are often driven by hospital outreach programs such as the flu clinic, wilderness educational programs and Afternoon Tea for Breast Cancer Survivors Harrisburg has a variety of community organizations to work with as well as the Migrant Workers Clinic, Ronald McDonald House and Essex House Clearfield students can check out Curwensville Days as well as opportunities to serve food and do health screenings at a local church Lock Haven students can take advantage of health fairs held on campus as well as campus-wide service activities BUT – you are encouraged to travel around to the different campuses and participate in a variety of service projects with your classmates!

Who’s in charge around here? No longer an AmeriCorps Scholar due to lack of state funding Graduate assistants at each campus Clearfield: Erika; Lock Haven: Thomas; Harrisburg : Jeff; Coudersport: Whitney; Graduate assistants will send out ideas, but you are encouraged to identify opportunities in your community and share with your classmates

Don’t forget the faculty! Faculty members are also excellent resources and will inform you of service opportunities throughout the year They know the campus communities very well and can help connect you with an organization which could use a helping hand

Want to find your own activities? Get in touch with your local hospital Hospitals frequently organize community health screenings and charity events and can often use volunteers! Contacting the volunteer coordinator at your local hospital can be a great start to finding a service event in your area Contact organizations in your community like Red Cross, YMCA, Salvation Army, etc. Ask if you can set up a blood pressure screening table or health education table at an upcoming event. Spend time with seniors! There are Community Living Centers/Nursing Homes in every community and the residents would love a smiling young face to spend some time with Google Search – the internet is full of ideas and activities! Don’t be afraid to plan your own events and get out in your communities!

Getting credit where credit is due… Graduate assistants are the keeper of your hours Once you complete a service activity it is YOUR responsibility to them ( s located on slide 8) with a short description of the event, what you did at the event and time spent at the event It’s not a bad idea to let your campus faculty or advisor know when you participate in service activities The PSPA and AAPA love to hear about your service activities – take pictures, write a short summary of the activity and submit them to Lane Bower so she can have your accomplishments recognized on a large scale

What about Fundraising? Fundraising does not count as service The goal of a service activity to to come face to face with members of your community and better their life through positive interactions and education and by lending a helping hand Fundraising is awesome and something you’ll need to do over the course of the next year, but you cannot count it as a service activity

What about an activity like Relay for Life? Raising money and walking in the Relay for Life or similar fundraising activity does not count towards your service hours Assisting with the planning and execution of an event like Relay for Life does count as a service activity Setting up a health education table at an event like Relay for Life and talking to people about their health and wellness does count as a service activity

What about a Blood Drive? Donating blood, plasma, bone marrow or an organ? Sorry it doesn’t count for service but way to go!!! Helping to plan, organize, set-up/break-down a blood drive or organ donor registration event? It counts!

Medical vs. Non-Medical Service In order for an event to be considered a medical activity you should be providing a medically relevant service – this includes health screenings and education As a rule of thumb, if you are applying/sharing knowledge you gained in PA school or as a nurse, EMT or other medical professional, it counts as medical service The final decision will be made by the graduate assistants, Craig Ernst and the PA program faculty - when in doubt ask for clarification

Summary Remember: You have to participate in THREE service activities between now and the end of your first year. 2 MEDICAL 1 NON-MEDICAL These are YOUR service requirements! You are responsible for getting to events and actively participating! The graduate assistants and the faculty will help you find events and keep track of your progress YOU need to make sure that you actually get around to doing all 3 service projects before May 2015 – don’t put them all off until the spring semester! Be an overachiever! Do as much service as you can and let the graduate assistants know about it

Community Service is Fun! You got into the medical field because you want to make a difference in people’s lives – now is a good time to start! Interacting with people will help to break up the monotony of sitting in a classroom all day learning – practical application will help information stick in your super saturated brains Have FUN doing these! Think of this not as a chore, but as an opportunity to: Make connections and network in your community Spiff up your CV Begin a lifelong commitment to service!

Thanks for Listening! Any questions about your service requirements? Any questions about PA school in general? If you think of a question later, feel free to contact me!