Since joining Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) in April 2020, Adrianne Jones, MLS, has served as chief admissions officer for all three College locations. Below, Ms. Jones shares details of her journey to PCOM and the goals she has for
the growth of admissions going forward.
As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, I report directly to Jay S. Feldstein, DO ‘81, president and chief executive officer. My responsibilities include oversight of the admissions and enrollment processes for all programs on all three PCOM campus locations. I supervise an awesome admissions and enrollment team, which, for the first time, features co-op students from Drexel working in operations and communications. We are all in pursuit of an exceptional student experience. As I develop these talented individuals, our common goal is a more holistic process that allows us to recruit a diverse class and increase enrollment. We are guided by PCOM’s 2025 Strategic Plan: A Path to Greater Excellence.
As an undergraduate at Southwestern University, I was asked to serve as a student representative on the admissions committee. It was incredible work and it exposed me to what would become my career. After graduation, I entered the field of education as a high school English teacher.
From a very young age, I have understood the value of an education. My mother was a teacher for 40 years. In my first year of teaching, I was asked by my teacher’s association to work with colleagues who had not passed their performance evaluations. I would take them through their paces and explain how the process of being evaluated in the classroom should work and ways to improve their outcomes. I have always been adept at issues resolution, problem identification and analysis, all skills that come in handy in a career in admissions. I was recruited back to Southwestern to work as an admissions professional and that sealed a journey in the profession that would take me to increased responsibility in admissions positions.
In my professional journey, I’ve worked with undergraduates at Southern Methodist University, Vanderbilt University and later Walden University. I would return again to the secondary setting in the private sector, this time in admissions and college counseling. I also jumped at opportunities to work in positions outside of education. I spent many years in consultative retail sales with The Container Store which provided an excellent business foundation and developed my talents in creating a consumer experience. My healthcare experience was gained with a focus on graduate education and preparing students for careers and post-baccalaureate options at The Maryland Institute of Integrative Health, the University of St. Augustine, and now PCOM.
Back in the day, I received training at the Texas Association for College Admissions Counseling (TACAC) Summer Workshop at Rice University for new admissions counselors, the Hampton Institute for Counselors of Color and the Harvard Summer Institute. This blend of working with nonprofit and for-profit institutions coupled with more than 10 years of consultative retail sales experience has provided me with a great foundation (I also credit my liberal arts education) to reinvent my skills, infusing technology for innovation.
Thirty-five years later, my collective experience in teaching, college counseling in public-private high schools, and admission and academic advising at various education levels has equipped me with a unique combination of skills for a chief admissions officer.
The role of chief admissions officer requires that I am out-front leading, always looking to the future to spot trends, but also focusing on what is happening in real-time. I plan to face the challenges head-on and signal for assistance if needed. At PCOM, we have many academic programs and each program has its unique needs. The higher education landscape suggests we will need to continue to develop more programs to remain relevant.
There are many stakeholders who influence decisions in academia. I was hired at PCOM during the pandemic and during my first year, I learned the PCOM culture and met many of those stakeholders virtually. Now, I have visited each campus to gain more knowledge and perspective. I continue to meet new PCOM people almost every day. I am learning something new on the job each day and I am still unpacking my condo after relocating to Pennsylvania. It has been a strange, and yet, amazing time.
The pandemic has forced the world to become more agile. It has changed us, from a process standpoint, for the better, specifically in the way we deliver our services. We are implementing SLATE, a new customer relationship management (CRM) technology that will support the development of an exceptional student experience. In this time of constant change, a growth mindset is a must!
Finally, while I have skills at interpreting corporate vision, strategy and translating objectives into actionable plans, the goals of the PCOM 2025 Strategic Plan are daunting and ushered forward when we are standing on shifting sands. I am excited that I have the talent of the admissions team to help me—help us—reach our goals. Did I say I was excited to be at PCOM? I am.
All the resources! There is so much to learn at a medical college like PCOM. We have access to resources to continue to educate ourselves, follow science, make healthier choices for a lifelong impact, and work in service right alongside future physicians, practitioners, and caring staff and faculty. I also love the intersection of education, healthcare and business. PCOM touches every facet of our lives.
I like to bead as a way to decompress. I make jewelry and use beads as my medium. I have a specific bracelet that is my centerpiece and it is an eclectic collection of different types of glass beads. I love to collect beads for future projects. My favorite beads are made of glass and come from all around the world. I love the color spectrum. The joy of completing a project or making something special that I can give to a friend or loved one is the best part. I also like to collect vintage pieces of jewelry.
For the past 125 years, 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.
Brandon Lausch
Executive Director, Strategic Communications
Email: brandonla@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6312 | Cell:
717-371-0609
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