Pre-health honor chapter reforms at NSU

(Tahlequah, Okla.)After a hiatus, the national health pre-professional honor society Alpha Epsilon Delta is reforming this fall at Northeastern State University.

Lakelen Crain of Vian is reviving AED on campus and will serve as student president. Dr. Craig Clifford, professor of biology, will be faculty adviser. A society chapter was established at NSU in 2006 but has been inactive recently.

The main reason I want to restart AED is so NSU has a pre-health organization with national status that encourages scholarship, Crain said. I am hoping an AED chapter will extend the boundaries a bit for upperclassmen majoring in health fields.

Clifford said the NSU chapter, Oklahoma Eta, will resume activities during the fall 2011 semester.

We are discussing volunteer work, shadowing at local health facilities, blood drives and health screenings, he said. We also want to complement what the Pre-Professional Health Club is doing and cooperate with them.

The general guidelines for admission to AED require a 3.2 cumulative grade-point average in 45 hours of science courses.

We are in discussions with the national AED office in Fort Worth, Texas, Crain said. There may be some room to adjust the qualifications while we restart our chapter. The GPA requirement will stand but they may permit hours earned in other subjects, especially when transfer students are involved.

AED encourages and recognizes excellence in pre-professional health scholarship, including medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine. The society welcomes students pursuing a professional health care career. AED offers opportunities for intellectual and professional development, a forum for students with common interests and extends a program of service to benefit the campus community.

The society is affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the Association of College Honor Societies.

Clifford said the faculty and administration of College of Science and Health Professions are excited to see AED reestablished.

This is the only national honor society for pre-health undergraduates, he said. As with many honoraries, membership is for a lifetime. This can create further learning opportunities for our students during their academic years and help them attain their professional goals.