JaLisa Jones, DO '25 
PCOM South Georgia Graduate Profile

May 12, 2025

When JaLisa Jones (DO '25) was six years old, her grandfather was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

“I was not able to advocate for him at my age but wanting to was something that was embedded in me,” she said. “The scarcity of minority primary care providers in my community continued to push me.”

On May 15, Jones will take one step closer to being able to help others like her grandfather when she graduates with her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree from PCOM South Georgia. She will be part of the third class of students to graduate from the Moultrie, Georgia, location of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) that opened in 2019.

“I initially chose PCOM South Georgia because of its location and mission to serve the community,” Jones explained. “I knew I would only be four hours from my hometown of Tampa as well as Atlanta, a city close to my heart. Along the interview trail, PCOM South Georgia's focus on family and community was evident because a local nonprofit executive director interviewed me. I could feel, even virtually, her love and passion for the new school and community.”

Jones realized osteopathic medicine was the best professional choice for her.

“I chose to become a DO because I felt as a future primary care physician, I would be taught tools to help me holistically think about ways to treat my patients and help mitigate barriers through advocacy and partnership,” she said.

When asked who inspires her, Jones answers without hesitation.

“God, my mother and my Spelman sisters,” she said, referring to her classmates from Spelman College in Atlanta, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 2014. “They keep me dreaming and envisioning all the possibilities about how I can be a change agent in the world.”

During COVID-19, Jones learned about making a difference in her community when she spent two years working with the homeless while serving in AmeriCorps at Metropolitan Ministries in Tampa. The organization collaborates with 65 neighborhood partners to serve families in need in the Tampa Bay area. She brought that spirit of collaboration and service with her when she enrolled at PCOM South Georgia.

During her time as a student, Jones served as vice president of the ambassadors, a member of the campus wellness committee, a tutor, and a  mentoring and network leader on the First Generation Committee. She also helped interview potential students as part of the application process. Jones was one of the PCOM South Georgia students featured in a marketing campaign that included her photo on a billboard in Tifton.

After graduation, Jones will enter a residency in family medicine at Baycare Health System in Riverview, Florida, not far from Tampa. Eventually, she would like to help women focus on self-care.

“I aspire to own my own practice and partner with other businesses that cater to women to provide unique wellness services to my patients,” she said.

For other medical students, Jones offers some advice.

“Stay true to yourself,” she said. “As you are studying, please do not forget about your wellness. Plan for it just like you plan for tests and quizzes. Take trips and spoil yourself because you are so deserving. This is a marathon and not a sprint!”

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