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.
Established in 2005, PCOM Georgia is a private, not-for-profit, accredited institute of higher education dedicated to the healthcare professions. The Suwanee, Georgia, campus is affiliated with Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, a premier osteopathic medical school with a storied history. PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, and physical therapy and graduate degrees in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science, and physician assistant studies. Emphasizing "a whole person approach to care," PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the wider community. For more information, visit pcom.edu/georgia 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 more information, contact:
Barbara Myers
Senior Public Relations Manager
Email: BarbaraMy@pcom.edu
Office: 678-225-7532 | Cell:
770-309-0613
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