Tiffany Elston is a Public Health student at East Stroudsburg University and a pioneer Pennsylvania (PA) AHEC Scholar in the Eastcentral PA AHEC region. Tiffany chose to participate in the PA AHEC Scholars Program "because she wanted the opportunity to meet other students in her profession and gain the hands-on experience of what it would be like to work as a healthcare professional.” Through the program, she found that she was able to better understand living situations and daily struggles of many Pennsylvanians by participating in various simulations. She also has learned that it is important for healthcare professionals to work together toward the greater goal of serving patients.
During their time with the program, all PA AHEC Scholars will develop a service learning
project within their local community with hopes of producing scholarly work from this activity. Throughout the program, Tiffany has worked with BAYADA Home Health Care at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Adult Skilled Nursing Unit to implement an employee health program aimed at decreasing employee stress. She hopes to make a difference in helping employees manage their stress levels and become more aware of their health.
When asked what Tiffany would like to share about her experience with the program, she shared that "I would like other students to know how beneficial it is to complete this program. There is so much to experience from participating in the simulations, meeting other healthcare professionals, attending the clinical observations for the hands-on training, being able to attend public health community meetings, and so much more. Being a part of this program is awesome because unlike sitting in a classroom, you have someone who is there for you step by step in the program to help you become a success. I was fortunate to have Leslie and Debra in this two-year process in addition to my professors."