2024–2025 Scholarship Recipient
Lydia Smeltz
Penn State University
Scholarship Project
Expanding the ADEPT-CARE Program
Lydia Smeltz received the ADHCE scholarship to expand the ADEPT-CARE program, an educational experience involving medical and physician assistant students and an inclusive standardized patient scenario.
Inclusive Simulation
The standardized patient experience included a pediatric or young adult patient with an intellectual or developmental disability, represented by a self-advocate, along with the patient's caregiver.
Community Collaboration
The inclusive educational team and simulation experience were further developed in collaboration with self-advocates from the community.
Project Goal
The expanded ADEPT-CARE experience was designed to provide health professions students with opportunities to learn through inclusive simulation and apply that learning in future interactions with patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers.
