For Madison McGuire, PharmD '26, pharmacy has been a passion since she was 16 years old working as a cashier at an independent pharmacy in her hometown of Gainesville, Georgia.
“I quickly saw myself doing this for the rest of my life because of the closeness you get with the patients, as they become like family to you,” she said.
As she prepares to walk across the Commencement stage on May 6 to receive her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from PCOM Georgia, she acknowledges the challenges she has faced to get to this point. During her first year of pharmacy school, McGuire welcomed her first child, a baby boy.
“As hard as it was, I knew I had to do this for my son. He is three now and thriving,” she said. “I want to set an example for him to not let anything stop him from chasing his dreams. It will take a lot of hard work and determination, but short-term sacrifices lead to long-term successes.”
In 2022, when she visited campus on Accepted Students Day, she was struck by the noticeable effort pharmacy faculty made in wanting their students to succeed.
“I chose PCOM Georgia because of the closeness and intimacy offered with classmates and professors unlike other schools with hundreds of students per cohort,” she said. “I thrive on building relationships and having contact with faculty whenever needed, and PCOM stood out because of that. I never felt alone in my journey over the last four years, and I owe that to PCOM and their amazing staff.”
Throughout her time at PCOM, McGuire participated in various student organizations, including the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), and American Pharmacists Association (APA). Her favorite was NCPA, as it further solidified her love for retail pharmacy.
With her degree in hand, her next goal is to become a pharmacy manager within her first year of practice.
Beyond her academic pursuits, she’s a self-described “old soul.” An avid Elvis Presley fan, she often jokes about feeling born in the wrong era.
“I'd give anything to live in the '50s—the fashion, the diners, the simplicity,” she said. “No cellphones, just being in the moment with others. That sounds like heaven to me!”
As a healthcare provider, she wants to make a difference at every stage of illness and health for she believes that retail pharmacists are some of the most accessible healthcare professionals.
“From a cancer diagnosis to a common cold, pharmacists are at the center of patient care,” she said. “When people come to the pharmacy, they're sick, and I aspire to be that smiling face and comfort regardless of where they are in their health journey.”
Her message to her peers? “Never hesitate to ask for help. Whether it's support from family and friends or assistance from classmates or professors, ‘you have not because you ask not’. I am so grateful for the support I received from my friends and family, especially while I was having my baby. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
PCOM Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
For general media inquiries, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 215-871-6300 or communications@pcom.edu. Visit our media relations page to view contact information for public relations personnel.
Joy Williford
Assistant Director, News and Media Relations
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: joyde@pcom.edu
Office: 470-572-7558
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