The Office of Diversity and Community Relations and the LGBTQIA Council at Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM) will host a lecture series on “Best Practices in Transgender Medicine.” The first lecture will take place on Tuesday, December 18 and students, faculty and staff are invited.
The discussion will be broadcast to the Philadelphia campus as well and will feature Anne Koch, DMD, a trailblazer in transgender medicine. Later
in the day, Dr. Koch will meet with student leaders to share her story and answer
questions.
Dr. Koch, a highly accomplished endodontist, underwent gender affirming surgery, transitioning from male to female at age 63. After a period of adjustment, she has renewed a career in dentistry that includes advocating for better health care for transgender individuals.
Dr. Koch received her doctor of dental medicine degree and certificate in endodontics from the University of Pennsylvania. She is the founder and past director of the postdoctoral program in endodontics at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Following her clinical and academic career as an adjunct assistant professor, Dr. Koch formed Real World Endo, a technology and development company.
Special guest Holiday Simmons, MSW, will also be featured in part one of the PCOM
lecture series which has been endowed by Dr. Koch. Simmons describes himself as a
black, Cherokee, transmasculine, two-spirit activist. He has a background in social
work, education, performing arts and activism. Simmons has worked with youth in foster
care, managed education initiatives, and has facilitated numerous creative writing
and spoken word workshops in the United States and abroad. He currently serves as
the director of community education for Lambda Legal, a national legal organization
committed to achieving full recognition of LGBTQIA rights.
Aisha DeBerry, JD, director of diversity and community partnerships at GA-PCOM, said, “We are looking forward to hosting such great powerhouses in the fields of transgender medicine and activism. I am sure that our student health professionals, faculty and staff will be able to walk away with a wealth of knowledge.”
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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