MACON – Ashley McNeal, a fourth-year student at Mercer University School of Medicine, recently completed her one-year community project for the Association for Prevention Education and Research’s Paul Ambrose Scholars Program (APTR).
McNeal, a 2019 Paul Ambrose Scholar, organized the Mercer WEST (Walk, Eat, Shop and Talk) program, held every third Wednesday at Mulberry Market in Tattnall Square Park to promote healthy lifestyles with nutritious diets and healthy lifestyles. regular exercise.
The program invited families of students from nearby Alexander II Elementary School to participate in a physical activity, talk to medical students about healthy lifestyles, taste a fresh fruit or vegetable in season, and buy products at the market using a $2 coupon provided to each student. .
At the Mercer WEST launch event in March 2019, 41 families attended, including 63 children and eight vendors. During the year, the program’s more than 20 volunteers reached more than 400 parents and students, while Mulberry Market grew to include 16 vendors due to increased attendance.
“I am thrilled to see how Ashley has used this unique scholarship opportunity to build her skills as a servant leader, and I have no doubt that she will continue to fulfill MUSM’s mission to meet the needs of rural and underserved populations. “said Keisha R. Callins, MD, MPH, clinical assistant professor in the School of Medicine.
The Paul Ambrose Scholars program prepares students of public health and clinical health professions to promote change and be leaders in solving population health issues at national and community levels. Each year, the program invites a cohort of 40 students from all health professions to its Student Leadership Symposium, which McNeal attended in March 2019 in Columbus, Ohio.
Fellows dedicate their time and effort to improving health within their communities through the planning and implementation of a community project, helping them cultivate leadership and organizational skills in health education. public health outside the classroom.
In addition to her work with the Paul Ambrose Scholars Program, McNeal, along with Dr. Callins and Larry Nichols, MD, Professor and Acting Chair of Pathology, recently co-authored an article titled “A Psychiatrist with Postoperative Anxiety After Hysterectomy: How Could this be fatal?”, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal priest.
The authors presented a case of hysterectomy with postoperative complications that led to a fatal outcome and how the autopsy revealed the cause of death and the clinicopathologic correlation suggested multiple lessons for patient safety.
“Ashley demonstrated a great work ethic and a true passion for learning by preparing a poster presentation and then publishing our case with important lessons for patient care,” said Dr. Nichols.
“Ashley is a rock star. While pursuing medical school, she balances her family, as well as her interest in academic research and community involvement,” Dr. Callins added. “It takes a village to raise a doctor. , and I am happy to be part of his village.”
About Mercer University School of Medicine (Macon, Savannah, and Columbus)
Mercer University School of Medicine was established in 1982 to train physicians and health care professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. Today, more than 60% of graduates currently practice in the state of Georgia, and of these, more than 80% practice in rural or medically underserved areas of Georgia. Mercer medical students benefit from a problem-oriented medical education program that provides early patient care experiences. Such an academic environment promotes the early development of clinical problem solving and instills in each student an awareness of the place of basic medical sciences in medical practice. The school opened a full four-year campus in Savannah in 2008 at Memorial University Medical Center. In 2012, the school began offering clinical training to third- and fourth-year medical students in Columbus. After their sophomore year, students participate in core clinical rotations at the school’s major teaching hospitals: Medical Center, Navicent Health in Macon; Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah; and Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital and St. Francis Hospital in Columbus. The School also offers master’s degrees in family therapy, preclinical sciences and biomedical sciences and a doctorate. in rural health sciences.
