Iman Elkhashab (DO ’26) will enter residency in a few months, and she’s already thinking about how to give back to students and residents she’ll oversee in the future, “paying forward all the guidance that was given to me.”
Elkhashab recently learned that she will complete residency in urological surgery at Penn Medicine. She chose the specialty because of the breadth of procedures it involves—from minimally invasive robotic surgery to open abdominal surgeries—and for the opportunity to care for patients across all ages and genders.
She aims to become a urologic oncology surgeon, performing complex oncologic and reconstructive surgeries on patients, particularly those with bladder cancer. She also plans to continue pursuing research such as clinical trials, mentoring trainees, and dedicating time to “providing care to underserved patient populations locally, nationally, and globally.”
Those ambitions are built on a strong foundation. Elkhashab credits PCOM’s rigorous preclinical curriculum, early hands-on skills practice, and expansive alumni network with helping prepare her for residency. She completed her clinical rotations at Bayhealth in Delaware, “where I had the opportunity to get involved in a very integral way in patient care.” She is also grateful to her mentors, family, and friends for supporting her in her journey.
Her advice to incoming Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine students: work hard, stay resilient, and explore all that medicine offers.
“Shadow different specialties and participate in research, even if it’s just one project, as it helps promote critical thinking and is a great way to learn about a subject,” she said. “It gets tough, but regardless, you have to keep pushing forward, remember your goal, and ask for help when you need it. It will be worth it at the end.”
Established in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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.
Brandon Lausch
Executive Director, Strategic Communications
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: brandonla@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6312
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