Patient Safety (Mar 2022)
When the Patient Becomes the Teacher: Jefferson University’s Health Mentors Program
Abstract
Whether to become a nurse, therapist, pharmacist, or physician, students dedicate upwards of 15 years learning their profession, with countless hours spent studying topics like anatomy, pharmacology, and chemistry. But what about empathy? Jefferson University created the Health Mentors Program to teach future caregivers what it’s like to experience the other side of healthcare. Health mentors—dedicated volunteers with chronic conditions such as diabetes, visual impairment, or limited mobility—meet regularly with teams of students to help them learn everything about medicine not found in a textbook. Patient Safety Managing Editor, Caitlyn Allen, sat down with, program directors, Drs. Anne Bradley Mitchell and Nethra Ankam, and faculty support Dr. Brooke Salzman to learn more.
