Designed a disabilities curriculum to prepare students and staff

Lydia Smeltz
Fourth-Year Medical Student
Penn State College of Medicine

"When I started medical school, I was struck by the fact that no medical school is required to include training on caring for people with disabilities," said Lydia Smeltz, a fourth-year student at Penn State College of Medicine. "This was alarming, considering that over a quarter of the U.S. population lives with a disability. My goal became leaving our institution with a program dedicated to improving care for this underserved community."

Home to the nation’s first Department of Humanities and a nationally recognized Health Systems Science Office, Penn State College of Medicine trains learners to care for the whole patient while empowering them to innovate in health care delivery.

Lydia used this awareness and the opportunities available at Penn State College of Medicine to pursue her goal.

By working with the College’s Health Systems Science Office and her mentor, Dr. Ami DeWaters, Lydia developed a curriculum focused on using appropriate language when interacting with individuals with disabilities and conducting physical exams for patients with disabilities.

Piloted in 2022, the program has become mandatory for medical and physician assistant students at Penn State College of Medicine. Her efforts have significantly advanced the care of people with disabilities by contributing to the training of the next generation of medical professionals.

Lydia plans to pursue physical medicine and rehabilitation. In her spare time, she runs an adaptive field hockey program that serves kids and young adults with disabilities in central Pennsylvania.

“It’s nice to be back near Harrisburg, my hometown, and serve the community,” she said. “It fits well with the medical school’s focus on building holistic physicians.”

It’s stories like these that drive our purpose.