Across Pennsylvania and Georgia, the PCOM community continues to shape the future of health care. In this collection, you’ll find stories of civic partnership and celebration, resilient students stepping into their calling, innovative rural health initiatives, and programs that bring healing beyond the clinical setting.
PCOM is joining Philadelphia’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary through partnerships that highlight the city’s innovative spirit and strong sense of community. As the presenting sponsor of 52 Weeks of Firsts and co-leading sponsor of Bells Across PA, PCOM is helping to amplify the themes of creativity, civic pride and community wellness that unite the city.
This pride was on full display at the National Constitution Center in October during the official launch of 52 Weeks of Firsts, a year-long tribute to Philadelphia-born “firsts.” Each week, free celebrations across more than a dozen neighborhoods will spotlight surprising Philadelphia-born achievements in art, science and culture—from the first Slinky to the first pencil with an attached eraser.
Representing PCOM at the kickoff was Peter Bidey, DO '08, MSEd, FACOFP, dean and chief academic officer of the College’s Osteopathic Medicine program, who highlighted how Philadelphia’s history of collaboration mirrors PCOM’s 125-year commitment to advancing health, education and service.
PCOM’s America250 celebrations will continue throughout the new year with Bells Across PA and the City of Philadelphia’s Ring It On! One Philly, A United Celebration. Through this project, 20 artist-designed replica Liberty Bells will be placed in parks and along commercial corridors, connecting neighborhoods with a shared symbol of freedom and unity.
Through these partnerships, PCOM honors Philadelphia’s role as a birthplace of ideas while reinforcing its own mission to serve, educate and inspire.
Speaking to a standing-room-only crowd of students, faculty and staff, Mr. Murphy shared his personal journey from PA student to internationally recognized medical educator. He reflected on the experiences that shaped his drive to make complex science accessible and he offered candid insights into the motivation behind his widely watched teaching platform available on YouTube.
Throughout the day, students expressed how deeply they connect with his lessons and content, emphasizing how his engaging teaching style has had a positive impact on their medical education and retention.
Over a decade ago, two South Jersey children fought the same life-threatening illness under the same hospital roof, a shared experience they will never forget. After years of no direct contact, those children, now young adults, found themselves reunited not only in the same place, but with the same vocation.
In June 2007, four-year-old Dawson Nailor was diagnosed with leukemia, just two weeks before his fifth birthday. That December, four-year-old Ellie Koerner, received the same diagnosis, just three days before Christmas. Both were treated at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and its Specialty Care & Surgery Center in Voorhees, New Jersey, where they endured chemotherapy, biopsies and long hospital stays.
Despite living only 10 minutes apart, they never crossed paths again—until last summer, when they found themselves side by side as first-year students in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program at PCOM.
Mr. Nailor was first to make the connection at a networking event during orientation week. “Can I ask you a crazy question?” he said to Ms. Koerner. “Did you happen to have leukemia as a kid?”
“We sit down, and we’re catching up, and we know all the same people. We know all the same doctors. It was a crazy scene to be having this conversation,” Ms. Koerner recalls.
Unlike Mr. Nailor, who stayed quiet about his diagnosis through childhood, Ms. Koerner has long turned her experience into advocacy. She founded the Ellie Koerner Leukemia Foundation to raise funds for CHOP and the local Ronald McDonald House, organizing an annual toy and supply drive that brings joy to hospitalized children. She and her family have also shared their story through THON, the massive student-run fundraiser at Penn State, her alma mater.
For Mr. Nailor, acceptance came later. In high school, a biology class awakened his curiosity about how his body had healed. He began to embrace his story, channeling it into leadership by organizing and running his school’s Relay for Life events. “Once I understood what I’d survived, I became proud of it,” he said.
Both are active in CHOP’s Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program, helping other survivors transition into healthy adulthood—a mission close to home for both.
The serendipitous encounter came full circle at PCOM’s White Coat Ceremony when Mr. Nailor’s and Ms. Koerner’s families reunited for the first time since the children’s treatments nearly two decades earlier, astonished by the coincidental circumstances that brought their families back together.
Both Mr. Nailor and Ms. Koerner credit their care teams with inspiring their path to medicine. “I saw firsthand the doctor I want to be,” Mr. Nailor said. “A friend first, because I saw how important that feeling was as a patient. I want to be the reason a child isn’t afraid during treatment—to be their light during one of the darkest times of their lives.”
Mr. Nailor hopes to specialize in pediatric oncology, giving back to the field that saved him. “I want to offer not only excellent medical care but also compassionate, honest conversations that help families navigate such a difficult time,” he said.
Ms. Koerner, meanwhile, imagines a career in family medicine or dermatology. With deep PCOM ties—her father and grandfather are both alumni—she grew up around stories of osteopathic care grounded in empathy and connection. That ethos resonates deeply with her own journey as a survivor.
For Mr. Nailor and Ms. Koerner, the reunion at the White Coat Ceremony symbolized full-circle strength. “Our white coats are a testament to our hard work, strength, and determination,” Ms. Koerner said. “We fought through cancer for two years, and now we’re dedicating the rest of our lives to giving back—in the most hands-on way possible.”
In honor of PCOM Georgia’s 20th anniversary, the campus’s beloved DNA Art Wall in the atrium underwent an exciting transformation. After a competitive submission process that drew 79 entries from artists across the country, the project was awarded to Atlanta-based mural artist Mister Totem.
A celebrated figure in street art and graffiti, Mister Totem is known for his vibrant style and skill in visual storytelling. With an international reputation and ties to Atlanta’s largest graffiti network—a community that has shaped much of his artistic output—Mister Totem created a concept that blends the College’s history with his signature expression, creating a striking centerpiece for the Suwanee campus.
PCOM South Georgia celebrated the official dedication of its new PCOM South Georgia Rural Health Initiative Building at the 47th Sunbelt Ag Expo, the region’s largest farm show. The facility was donated by the Ag Expo team to create a community health hub that supports the College’s ongoing efforts to improve and expand health education in rural South Georgia.
PCOM President and CEO Jay S. Feldstein, DO '81, was joined by Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp, First Lady of Georgia Marty Kemp and Sunbelt Ag Expo Executive Director Chip Blalock for a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony where together they emphasized the importance of community collaboration in advancing healthcare education.
Inside the new facility, PCOM South Georgia students offered blood pressure screenings to visitors and showcased the Simbulance, a mobile simulation lab designed to enhance emergency response training. Recognizing the increasing importance of mental health in agriculture, the College is dedicated to raising awareness of the often-unseen struggles faced by those working behind the barns and tractors—many of whom endure significant physical, emotional, and financial hardships.
“Farmers are the backbone of America, working long days of sweat and sacrifice while often quietly bearing physical, financial and emotional burdens with little access to support,” said Dr. Feldstein. “The Sunbelt Ag Expo recognizes this challenge, and PCOM South Georgia shares this commitment. Together, we aim to raise awareness and provide resources for farmers, their families and their communities.”
PCOM’s newly renovated Dining Commons is now open on the second floor of the Howard A. Hassman Academic Center, offering expanded seating, global flavors, American classics and a 24/7 grab-and-go market. Added conveniences—including cashless checkout, self-service kiosks and mobile ordering—make it easier than ever for students, faculty and staff to dine on their schedule.
Dining Commons Photo GalleryAt PCOM Georgia, cafeteria enhancements now offer more dining choices and added convenience, with mobile ordering and self-service kiosks available to streamline the dining experience for the campus community.
The human impact of gun violence is often lost in statistics. PCOM’s Support and Healing through Empowerment Learning and Trauma Education in Recovery (SHELTER) Program works to bring those stories forward and strengthen how communities heal. Funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), SHELTER expands trauma-informed training and provides emotional and psychological support for individuals, families and neighborhoods affected by firearm-related trauma.
Its impact is already visible on campus and across the state. PCOM recently hosted the Souls Shot Portrait Project, a powerful exhibition honoring lives lost to gun violence. In addition, SHELTER Co-director Erik Langenau, DO, MS, MAPP ‘23, was appointed to the PCCD Executive Committee on Gun Violence Prevention, helping ensure that survivor experiences and clinical insight inform statewide conversations about healing and support.
The Souls Shot Portrait Project, which was displayed in Rowland Hall, paired local artists with families who have lost loved ones to gun violence. Each portrait invited viewers to pause and reflect on the individual behind the statistic. For longtime PCOM staff member Amanda Mills—whose late fiancé was memorialized in a previous installment—the exhibition was both meaningful and healing, underscoring the importance of trauma-responsive care and community remembrance.
Co-directed by Dr. Langenau and Michelle Lent, PhD, interim chief research and science officer, SHELTER is rooted in PCOM’s whole-person philosophy. Survivors of firearm violence often face long-term psychological effects—chronic stress, hypervigilance, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms—that can persist long after physical injuries heal. SHELTER helps close this gap by preparing clinicians to recognize these invisible wounds and respond with sensitivity, validation and trust-building care.
Through workshops, training modules and interdisciplinary collaboration, the program equips healthcare teams with practical skills to understand trauma responses, reduce stigma, and integrate empathy into everyday care. The goal is to ensure that anyone affected by gun violence feels supported, heard and respected throughout their recovery.
As communities across the nation continue to confront the effects of gun violence, the SHELTER Program stands as a model of meaningful response—uniting education, community partnership and trauma-informed care. Its mission is clear: healing is possible, and every survivor deserves dignity, understanding and hope.
© 2026 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
