PCOM Georgia and the student-run Georgia First Foundation were nominated for Gwinnett
Chamber of Commerce Regional Impact Awards.
The willingness to volunteer for the betterment of the community seems to be in the
DNA of PCOM Georgia students. It’s very possible that those seeking careers in health care naturally
have a desire to help people. Or it may be in the way our admissions committees take
note of this attribute in the selection process.
Whatever it is, the people who live in Gwinnett and the surrounding areas are the
beneficiaries of our 1,100 member student bodies’ desire to help.
Gwinnett Regional Impact Award Finalist
This may be one of the reasons PCOM Georgia was selected as a finalist in the education
category of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Regional Impact Awards. According to
the Chamber, the awards “recognize leading organizations in top industries that are
driving economic development and job creation, while enhancing our quality of life.”
Physical Therapy Student Volunteers
Just last weekend, 10 students from the PCOM Georgia physical therapy class of 2021 volunteered as “buddies” at the No Limits TryAthlon held in Lawrenceville,
Georgia. Forty-one kids participated in swimming, biking and walk/run events with
the help of a “buddy” while family members, therapists and community volunteers cheered
them on.
“The TryAthlon sponsored by the All about Kids Therapy Services clinic is a great
opportunity for community involvement with children with special needs and their families
and PCOM Georgia students were happy to help with the event,” said Teresa Pierce, PT, DPT, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy.
On the Tuesday prior, 22 physical therapy students volunteered at the Hall County
Special Olympics held at Lanier High School. And this weekend, a PCOM Georgia Relay
for Life Team will take to the track at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds to raise funds
for the American Cancer Society.
Student-Run Georgia First Foundation
In addition to PCOM Georgia being named a finalist for the Regional Impact Awards,
the Georgia First Foundation, a student-run organization, was also nominated. The
foundation, with President Charbel Aoun (MS ’20) at its helm, provides mentors for
30 Lanier High School students.
The mentorship program is specifically for first generation students – those who are
the first generation in their family to go to college. “We want to help these pioneers
craft a pathway to make them the future leaders, forward thinkers and experts that
we can turn to. We want to help them turn their aspirations into destinations,” Aoun
said.
More than 40 Campus Clubs
All in all, more than 40 student organizations continually search for ways to make their communities a better place to live. Clubs
like the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the Internal Medicine Club,
the Student Osteopathic Medical Association, PCOMFIT and the R.U.R.A.L. Club continue
to make an impact on the members involved and the wider community.
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