No matter the location, Sandeep Vansal, PhD, RPh, has a passion for working to open new institutions.
After teaching at universities in New York and New Jersey for nearly two decades, Dr. Vansal, associate professor of pharmacology and a registered pharmacist, moved to Moultrie to join the inaugural faculty at PCOM South Georgia.
Dr. Vansal is no stranger to the South as he completed his doctoral studies at the University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi. From there, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He remained in the Northeast until 2019 when he moved to South Georgia.
“My commute in New York was two hours one way,” he said. “Now my commute is eight minutes!”
Aside from the timesaving drive, Dr. Vansal said he appreciates the effort it takes to begin a new medical school in a rural area.
“When construction began on PCOM South Georgia, we had a blank slate. Our primary work is going toward building the school and building the culture,” he said.
Dr. Vansal’s passion for teaching began when he taught a physiology lab during his doctoral studies. During his first year, he was named the ‘Teaching Assistant of the Year.’
“I like to see the students’ ‘aha’ moments,” he said. “I love when students ask questions and put in the effort to understand. Understanding the different medications and how to prescribe them safely is crucial for these future physicians.”
In addition to enjoying the southern hospitality and great weather Georgia offers, Dr. Vansal said he’s been pleasantly surprised with the diversity of the students, faculty and staff at PCOM South Georgia.
“Dr. Vansal was one of the first hires when we established PCOM South Georgia,” said H. William Craver III, DO ‘87, FACOS, PCOM South Georgia Dean and Chief Academic Officer. “His experience has been a tremendous asset to the College while we developed and adjusted the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program curriculum.”
When he’s not teaching pharmacology to osteopathic medicine students, Dr. Vansal enjoys running at the local YMCA and reading. His wife currently resides in New Jersey and is planning to move to South Georgia in the near future. They have a son who is studying mechanical engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, and a daughter in high school who aspires to be a physician.
In 2019, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a premier osteopathic medical school with a storied 125-year history, extended its commitment to the Southeast by establishing PCOM South Georgia. An additional teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia, PCOM South Georgia offers both a full, four-year medical program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences. PCOM is a private, not-for-profit institution that trains professionals in the health and behavioral sciences fields. Joining PCOM Georgia in Suwanee in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state, PCOM South Georgia focuses on educating physicians for the region. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 229-668-3110.
Cindy B. Montgomery
Public Relations and Social Media Manager
Email: cindymo@pcom.edu
Office: 229-668-3198 | Cell: 229-873-2003
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