A group of Dougherty County high schoolers spent two days at PCOM South Georgia discovering graduate and medical school opportunities while partaking in hands-on medical learning.
The students, who are participants in the GEAR UP Dougherty program, enjoyed unique training and experiences at the medical school in Moultrie. During their time at PCOM South Georgia, the Dougherty County teenagers dissected sheep hearts in the anatomy lab, learned suture skills and how to measure blood pressure readings, toured the facilities, focused on their mental health and wellness and spoke with current medical students and the admissions department about how to prepare for and apply to college or medical school.
Alana Simmons, PhD, Dougherty County School System GEAR UP Director, said that hearing from current medical students at PCOM South Georgia was a major highlight for the young teens.
“Our participants spoke with medical students from their hometown of Albany who look like them and come from a similar background,” she said. “The PCOM South Georgia students showed our GEAR UP participants that graduate or medical school is a possibility for them!”
Stacie Fairley, PhD, director of interprofessional education and associate professor of microbiology and immunology, served as the faculty lead for PCOM South Georgia. She said that these kinds of programs and campus visits make a difference in the lives and futures of community members.
“These types of programs are critical levers to supporting our youth's success and
providing safe spaces to develop essential college and career readiness skills,” she
said.
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a federal program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. GEAR UP Dougherty proudly serves all 2,100 students in Dougherty County School System's high school graduating classes of 2024 and 2025. This program is tasked with increasing the number of students from income-suppressed communities who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.
Learn more about PCOM South Georgia's community outreach and STEM programs.
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.
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