Students will be supervised and taught as they examine and provide care for patients in area hospitals and medical offices.
After two years of classroom learning and laboratory experience, students in PCOM South Georgia’s inaugural class are entering the clinical world.
Third-year Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) student-doctors will begin clerkships in July 2021. During their third and fourth years, the students, clad in their white coats, train in the core specialties of medicine at hospitals and medical offices under the supervision of physician preceptors, both DOs and MDs. The students are supervised and taught as they examine, evaluate and provide care for patients.
After each four-week rotation, such as family medicine or pediatrics, students take Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Achievement Tests (COMAT) to ensure full comprehension of the subject area. A passing grade in the COMAT combined with their preceptor evaluation score determines their grade and allows them to move forward with their medical education.
Marla Golden, DO, FACEP, is the Associate Dean of Clinical Education and Chair of Clinical Education at PCOM South Georgia. She said without the help of regional physicians and partners, local rotations would not be possible.
“Our clinical partners in South Georgia have such a dedication and commitment to our mission and our area,” she said. “They’re ensuring better health care and better access to health care for the entire population. That’s the main goal and it’s being done beautifully.”
Christian Edwards (DO ‘23) is a Moultrie native who has a goal of remaining in his hometown to practice medicine. He said he wants to keep his roots and family in Moultrie and give back to the community.
“Over the next year I will have the opportunity to rotate right here in Moultrie,” he said. “I was born and raised here, so it really is a privilege to be trained within the community that I grew up in. It would be a huge honor and gift to be able to stay here and offer care to this community.“
Colquitt Regional President and CEO Jim Matney said, “When students participate in clinical rotations at Colquitt Regional, they receive a hands-on, comprehensive learning experience in a supportive environment. One of the major challenges for people who live in rural areas is access to quality healthcare. Through this partnership, we are helping train the next generation of physicians and are making a lasting impact on healthcare in this region.”
Learn more about becoming a preceptor for PCOM South Georgia.
PCOM South Georgia's DO Class of 2023 received their physician white coats in a ceremony
held in October 2019.
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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