News Release
July 24, 2008

EXPERT ON POST TRAUMATIC STRESS OFFERS ADVICE TO CLINICAL STUDENTS

With thousands of Iraqi war veterans trying to adjust to normal life, the likelihood of medical professionals having to diagnose and treat post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is greater now than at any time since the Vietnam era.

That’s one reason why renowned author and scholar Dr. George Everly recently shared his insight into the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD with students and faculty at South College.

Ed Wise, adjunct faculty member; Ken Harbert, dean of the School of Physician Assistant Studies; Dr. George Everly; Mindy Goldberg, director of academic services of the School of Physician Assistant Studies; and Rick Hillegas, associate director of the School of Physician Assistant Studies.

Everly, who specializes in treating individuals involved with war and those who work in emergency services, provided an interactive presentation featuring both his clinical expertise and his anecdotal insights.

“Leonardo da Vinci said ‘First study the science and then practice the art.’ We don’t do a very good job of that,” Everly said. “If I teach you how to do something, you’re a slave to the protocol. If I teach you why it’s important, you can get better than I am.”

Everly’s visit was part of the Visiting Professors program at the School of Physician Assistant Studies. “We felt this information was crucial for students and future health professionals,” said Dr. Ken Harbert, dean of the School of Physician Assistant Studies. “PTSD is a very real issue in emergency rooms across the country.”

Everly offered the students of South College several pieces of advice both for their academic endeavors and for their professional careers. He provided recommendations on practicing the art, rather than the science, of diagnosing PTSD and of diagnosis in general.

“Asking the right question is better than any checklist,” Everly said. “It’s not the number of questions you ask. It’s the power of the questions.”

Dr. Everly is co-founder of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, a non-profit organization affiliated with the United Nations. He is on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University and serves as an adjunct faculty member for several federal agencies. He is the author or editor of 14 textbooks related to crisis treatment and stress management and has lectured on six different continents about the issue.

South College is a private institution accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. South College educates students for selected careers in high-demand fields and offers bachelor’s degrees in business administration, elementary education, legal studies, nursing, pharmaceutical science and health science, as well as associate degrees in various fields including accounting, business administration, medical assisting, network administration and security, paralegal studies, physical therapist assistant and radiography. For more information, visit http://www.southcollegetn.edu.

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