During September, which is the American Medical Association's Women in Medicine month, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) recognizes our women physicians who serve as faculty members and role models for our students across all three of our campuses in Philadelphia, Suwanee and Moultrie. PCOM South Georgia has selected a representative “Woman in Medicine” to feature in a web story. However, we honor and celebrate all of our physicians and student doctors and their commitment to advancing equity and creating change.
Nilam Vaughan, DO, took an unusual approach to her medical career.
“I always wanted to be a physician,” she said. “I just took a different route.”
It wasn’t until after she earned her degree in occupational therapy and attained a coveted position as an occupational therapist that Dr. Vaughan realized she was in the wrong field of medicine. That’s when she knew it was time to go back to school.
She enrolled at PCOM Georgia in Suwanee, graduating in 2011. While a student, Dr. Vaughan excelled academically and as a leader. She served as vice president of the student government association; as rotation group leader; and as a liaison between her classmates, the Osteopathic Institute of the South and PCOM Georgia administrators. Dr. Vaughan organized an AIDS benefit event that raised $16,000 for a nonprofit organization in the Atlanta area.
Dr. Vaughan received PCOM’s prestigious Mason W. Pressly Memorial Medal in 2011.
As an emergency medicine physician, Dr. Vaughan’s career has taken her across the country to help people in some of the most rural areas of Alaska, Nebraska and South Georgia. She has worked with four distinct tribes of Native Americans.
Dr. Vaughan now calls Atlanta home. She serves as an assistant professor of emergency medicine at PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie and as an emergency medicine physician at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany.
“The drive is internal, but my family has been instrumental in my ability to pursue my career. There were multiple obstacles, but my family, especially my parents, have supported me tirelessly.”
What has your experience been like being a woman in medicine?“It’s definitely been a challenge. There are actual female physician groups on social media that are formed so we can support each other. The challenges we face in 2023 are probably very similar to what female physicians faced 10, 20 or even 30 years ago. We’re treated differently. We’re paid differently. The dynamics are different. I can only imagine what those women did to pave the road for us.”
“I want women to know that there is not only one way to navigate a path to medicine. For some, it means having children and for others it means not. For some, the leadership position is the pinnacle, and for others it is not. There is not one way one has to pursue our noble profession. It is my mission to elevate women and not create an environment that penalizes us for creating a different path.”
Dr. Vaughan says that her family, friends and co-workers are instrumental in making her family dynamics work. She has two daughters, ages 12 and 5, and a son, age 6.
“I think they are all proud. Would they like Mom to be home more? Yes, but they are well-adjusted.”
“You can understand the challenges that you have been through and try to create a better and more supportive environment. I have definitely encountered women who want to make it just as bad as they had it for the next generation. I do not comprehend this as this just increases our moral injury.”
Dr. Vaughan uses technology to encourage other female physicians.
“I am very active in social media groups who focus on women from all over the world.”
“You’re so used to putting others first that we don’t always take care of ourselves. Don’t forget about your own mental health…I love medicine. I love people, even on the hard days and the challenging days. You’re going to have many of those. It’s OK to step away and take a break.”
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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