Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville and PCOM Georgia in Suwanee, located just five miles apart in Gwinnett County, recently inked an agreement that's a winning combination for local students interested in becoming physical therapists.
“This partnership is significant because it will provide our exercise science students with a guided pathway to matriculate into a physical therapy program, while also providing PCOM Georgia's physical therapy program with students who are well-prepared for graduate study,” Lauren Tapp, PhD, chair of the department of exercise science and physical education at GGC, said. “Through this joint effort we will be able to work together to produce practitioners who will go on to serve our local community, while also elevating GGC and PCOM Georgia to destination institutions.”
Ruth M. Maher, PT, PhD, DPT, professor and chair of the PCOM Georgia physical therapy
department said, “With a significant national shortage of physical therapists, the
affiliation agreement between PCOM Georgia's Doctor of Physical Therapy program and
Georgia Gwinnett College couldn't be timelier.” She added, “The agreement pathway
will provide high-quality educational and experiential opportunities for students
from both institutions who are interested in pursuing a career as physical therapists.
The benefit for PCOM Georgia is that the agreement will enhance our program's ability
to meet the needs of our communities, while potentially improving diversity within
the healthcare workforce.”
The educational institutions agreed to identify prospective physical therapists by their sophomore year of college so that PCOM Georgia could introduce them to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. PCOM Georgia agreed to admit up to three GGC college students per year into the program. The agreement requires the students to have successfully completed their undergraduate prerequisites for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and fulfilled the requirements for admission to PCOM Georgia.
Among the eligibility requirements for the PCOM Georgia Doctor of Physical Therapy program are:
PCOM Georgia's physical therapy program develops practitioners who take a holistic approach to patient care in a field that transforms lives. Physical therapists are evidence-based movement experts who use critical thinking and clinical reasoning to treat their patients across their lifespan. The doctoral program emphasizes a commitment to lifelong learning and growth. Not only are physical therapists in high demand, but research indicates that they achieve a high level of job satisfaction as they work with individuals to improve quality of life.
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.
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