For more than a decade, Christen York served as an elementary school educator.
“I always wanted to make a difference in my community,” she said. “I wanted to help people, and I love children. Growing up, I worked at a summer camp, encouraging others to be the best version of themselves, which kind of goes hand in hand with being a doctor. Teaching went along with that really well.”
York earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and went on to earn her master’s in education.
But she still felt that she should be doing something else.
“I don't really think that there was an ‘a-ha’ moment,” she said. “I think that it was kind of a slow drip that came into those tiny little moments that pop out and say, ‘You know, you're really good at this; you enjoy this. You really enjoy medicine.’”
When PCOM South Georgia opened in Moultrie in 2019, just a short drive from her home in Tifton, her husband, Jared, noticed her interest in the new medical college campus. During a conversation one day, he asked if she had considered becoming a doctor.
Then they toured the campus.
“I walked through the doors, and it literally felt like home, like it was just such a perfect fit,” she said. “It was so comforting. There were so many resources. There were so many opportunities for success. Everyone had a smile, and everyone was encouraging. The students were all engaged with professors. The professors looked happy to be here, and the students looked happy to be here, and you could tell everyone was dedicated to seeing you succeed.”
Switching from being an elementary teacher to a medical student took some effort. York attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) to earn the prerequisite courses required.
“ABAC had everything that I needed, and it was also in my backyard,” she said. “I went ahead and started in the fall, got my prerequisites out of the way, which was such a huge opportunity to expand on that community feeling.”
While working on those prerequisites, York met two classmates who are now in the same cohort with her at PCOM South Georgia.
When York began classes in late June, Jared and their 13-year-old daughter, Madison, were ready to support her. This summer, Jared has been preparing meals on the grill while Madison bakes treats to offer encouragement and asks how she can help.
“The two of them make a great team,” York said. “The buy-in from both of them is really good. That doesn't mean it's always going to be easy, but to know that they're OK and their support has been huge.”
On Aug. 8, York received her white coat along with the rest of her classmates in a ceremony that marks an academic milestone for new medical students.
“It's just the start of opening all the doors to success,” she said. “It's the start of a really important journey—a welcoming into the community of doctors.”
York compares it to her sorority’s initiation when she was an undergraduate, and what it will be like when she’s standing in the audience with her classmates all in their new white coats.
“All of a sudden, they’ll be your brothers and sisters,” she said. “They’ll be standing right next to you, and they’re here to support you. You’re here to support them, and you will have that thread that binds you all together.”
In 2019, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a premier osteopathic medical school established in 1899, 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.
For general media inquiries, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 215-871-6300 or communications@pcom.edu. Visit our media relations page to view contact information for public relations personnel.
Joy Williford
Assistant Director, News and Media Relations
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: joyde@pcom.edu
Office: 470-572-7558
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