Clinical psychology and osteopathic medical students participate in the Department of Clinical Psychology's annual Advocacy Day event.
On Friday, April 22, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s School of Professional and Applied Psychology’s Department of Clinical Psychology hosted its annual Advocacy Day event. This event, focused on interprofessional education, is in alignment with PCOM’s 2025 Strategic Plan initiative which states that PCOM is committed to preparing students who are successfully positioned for a competitive marketplace and are leaders in interprofessional team environments.
The event included presentations from 24 first-year students in the Doctor of Clinical Psychology (Clinical PsyD) program. These presentations focused on a variety of advocacy-focused topics and started conversations which were further facilitated in 30-minute break out rooms with the first-year students in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program. A different group of five PsyD students presented to participants each hour and from there, participants transitioned back into smaller breakout groups. The small groups were facilitated by second-year DO students and advanced clinical PsyD students.
“This day gives us an opportunity to highlight the Interprofessional Education Collaborative competencies of interprofessional communication, appreciating ethics and values, respecting roles and responsibilities, and integrates advanced psychology and medical students as facilitators which fosters the competency of leadership and teamwork,” shared Stephanie Felgoise, PhD, chair and director of the Clinical PsyD program and director of interprofessional education on the Philadelphia campus. “Second-year medical students have choices among their IPE requirements and many choose to attend doctoral dissertations for the PsyD program. The medical students ask excellent questions and are really engaged. Many of our PsyD dissertation topics have a healthcare focus or are interprofessional in nature,” continued Dr. Felgoise.
“When I was a student at PCOM, I knew there was an increasing desire for interprofessional education, with many doctor of osteopathic medicine students requesting it take place earlier in their curriculum. This event allows for that to happen,” shared Ashley Poole, PsyD `20, assistant professor, clinical psychology.
Following the event, the instructors requested feedback from students via a survey. From that survey, 90% of participants said they gained an appreciation for other professionals’ perspectives on the topic of advocacy through interprofessional communication, and learning of roles and responsibilities; 83% responded that they see themselves in the role of an advocate as a healthcare provider as a result of advocacy day and 89% said that the small group discussions were valuable to their interprofessional education and learning, accordingly.
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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