PCOM South Georgia Medical Students to Begin Clerkships
May 18, 2021
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.”
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) 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 degree. PCOM is a private, not-for-profit
institution which 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 South Georgia region. The
medical campus, which welcomed its inaugural class of medical students in August 2019,
has received accreditation from the American Osteopathic Association's Commission
on Osteopathic College Accreditation. For more information, visit pcom.edu/southgeorgia or call 229-668-3110.
For more information, contact: Jordan Roberts Public Relations and Social Media Manager Email: jordanro1@pcom.edu Office:229-668-3198 | Cell:229-873-2003