Building on their partnership established earlier this year, PCOM and the Cobbs Creek Foundation are continuing to connect education and health care through collaborative youth programming.
Through PCOM's Office of Campus and Community Partnerships (CCP) and Community Wellness Initiative (CWI), students, faculty, staff and alumni participated in a Community Day held at the Lincoln Financial Center at Cobbs Creek that focused on promoting various areas of health and wellness. PCOM's DO Council provided blood pressure screenings and shared information on stress management in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month.
“Community wellness is about showing up, building trust and supporting one another,” said Flo Byarms, director of PCOM's Community Wellness Initiative. “When students pour into the community, they help strengthen the people and neighborhoods around them.”
Following Community Day, students from the Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab visited PCOM's Philadelphia campus as part of a year-long “Greens to Goals” program, aiming to introduce high school students to careers in health care.
Students in grades 9 through 12 participated in a day of interactive learning, including a campus tour, scavenger hunt, and hands-on exposure to key academic spaces. They were also able to explore the newly renovated Student Success Center, OMM Teaching Center, and Meta Christy House.
Martin Stivala, a student in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program, was among those who volunteered at the event and reflected on his experience of being able to spread health information and education to local youth in the community.
“The one thing that I am most appreciative of is my exposure to such diverse populations," Stivala said. “Before these experiences, I had not worked with so many different cultures, religions and people from differing backgrounds, so being able to see how differently people of the same community experience life was truly special, and something I will carry with me into my future practice as a physician.”
The field trip was designed to deepen students' understanding of medical education while encouraging them to envision future pathways in health care.
“It was so rewarding to watch the students become excited, engaged, and curious as they explored a new environment and learned more about what medical school looks like,” said Arielle Antoine (DO '29), who also mentored the TGR Learning Lab Philadelphia students during their visit. “I loved seeing them begin to imagine themselves in these spaces and potentially envision a future at PCOM or in health care more broadly.”
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.
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Kyra Jones
Public Relations Manager
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: kyrajo@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6672
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