PCOM Perspectives

In this podcast, we focus on PCOM’s Women in Medicine – both students and professionals. We’ve turned the table this time as one of our students serves as the host of the podcast. Join us as Victoria Troncoso, DO and Savita Arya, MD, discuss their personal role models and obstacles they’ve faced along their journey to becoming physicians. I will talk about how women at PCOM impact my leadership de...

The latest episode of PCOM Perspectives, our podcast exploring news and events on campus and news of the day through the PCOM lens, is now live. I encourage you to take a listen to this episode as I speak with Jason Walker, PhD, associate professor of physiology at PCOM South Georgia about student burnout. During our time together, we discuss why so many students are experiencing burnout, how to k...

In this podcast, we focus on PCOM’s latest degree offering – Medical Laboratory Science. Join us as Karen Giddens, MLS, the director of the Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Science program, and I discuss this program in depth. Karen has been a practicing medical laboratory scientist for more than 20 years. She has a wide variety of experience in the field, as well as in the academic arena D...

This episode features fourth year Doctor of Pharmacy students Ruth Pierre (PharmD ’22) and Mahlet Wole (PharmD ’22). They both completed one-month rotations at PCOM’s Office of Family Medicine in Philadelphia working alongside healthcare providers and medical student colleagues. They practiced patient-facing skills, including counseling patients about their medications. They also reviewed patient...

This episode features a discussion with Barbara Grogan, president of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority. Mrs. Grogan began her position with the Development Authority in May 2019, just months before PCOM South Georgia welcomed its first class in August of that year. Later that year, thanks to a partnership with PCOM, the Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority garnered a reg...

This episode features a discussion with Virginia Stallings, MD, a board-certified pediatric physician nutrition specialist and director of the Nutrition Center and Jean A. Cortner Endowed Chair in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Stallings is also professor of Pediatrics at CHOP and at The University of Pennsylvania Perelman...

This episode features a discussion with PCOM alumnus and member of the PCOM Board of Trustees, A. Scott McNeal, DO `88. Dr. McNeal currently serves as President and CEO of Delaware Valley Community Health, a private, non-profit healthcare organization that provides quality medical, dental and behavioral health services to patients, regardless of their ability to pay. During this podcast, Dr. Felds...

This episode features PCOM alumni Bruce A. Feinberg, DO ’82, a board certified medical oncologist who founded Georgia Cancer Specialists, one of the first and largest integrated oncology specialty practices in the nation. Dr. Feinberg now serves as the Chief Medical officer of Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions, a distributor of pharmaceuticals, a global manufacturer and distributor of medical an...

This episode features a discussion with Melody Yazdani (DPT ’22), a third year physical therapy student, and Prachi Patel (DO ’24), a second year DO student. We discussed their experience in giving back to the community through volunteer work. Melody serves as an official trainer for the Boxing with Parkinson’s program at the Center for Movement Challenges, while Prachi is the Director of the HEAR...

This episode features a discussion with Laura Calhoun, MHA, executive director of the Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center (SOWEGA-AHEC). The organization shares common goals with PCOM South Georgia: increase access to health care, improve the lives of Southwest Georgians and bring more healthcare professionals to the area. Even before opening the doors of PCOM South Georgia three years...

This episode features a discussion with PCOM South Georgia’s Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Ann Contrucci, MD, FAAP. Dr. Contrucci is a board-certified pediatrician and has been practicing medicine for more than 25 years. In private practice, Dr. Contrucci focused much of her time on patients with mental health issues. With a new academic year beginning this month, it’s important to address ou...

This episode features a candid discussion with Dr. Brian Nester, President and CEO of Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), a 1988 graduate of PCOM’s DO program, and a 1994 graduate of our Master of Science program. As head of one of the region’s major health networks, Dr. Nester has spent the last year navigating LVHN through the COVID-19 global health crisis. As we begin life on the other side of...

This episode features a discussion with Andrea Mann, DO, FAAP, PCOM Georgia’s new dean and chief academic officer of the osteopathic medicine program. We discussed Dr. Mann’s plans for success in her role, her leadership philology, as well as some of the challenges she will face as we transition back to campus following an unprecedented year. We also talked about priorities for both the College an...

In the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on our communities and our country, claiming the lives of over half a million Americans. With this influx of deaths, medical coroners find themselves on the frontlines combating the disease. Accurately classifying deaths is an essential part of understanding the disease, as well as allocating resources to areas that are most affec...

This episode features a discussion with Michael Tecce, DO ‘15, resident physician in plastic surgery and assistant instructor in surgery at Penn Medicine and a PCOM alumnus. After spending five years in public accounting, Dr. Tecce transitioned his career in pursuit of full-time academics in medicine. As a student at PCOM, Dr. Tecce completed a one-year graduate fellowship in bioethics and served...

This episode features a discussion with PCOM's Chief Admissions Officer, Adrianne Jones, MLS, on the increasing number of medical school applications from traditionally underrepresented communities. As our population continues to grow more diverse, the need is critical for health professionals to be representative of the people and communities they serve. PCOM has an important role to play in crea...

Each year, our three campuses nominate one student for the Student DO of the Year, a nationwide award presented by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. The students are selected by their classmates and faculty members based on their service to the college, their leadership and research experiences, and their dedication to the osteopathic profession. In this episode, we dis...

With a focus on our students, this episode features a discussion with PCOM leaders Patience Mason, MEd, and Patrick Wolf, MBA, about the College’s response to the challenges we have faced due to the pandemic. Patience is the College’s Chief Student Affairs Officer and leads the student affairs operation for our 2,800 students at the Philadelphia, Suwanee and Moultrie campuses. Patrick is the Colle...

This episode features a discussion with PCOM South Georgia’s Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology Stacie Fairley, PhD. Since making its way into our country earlier this year, COVID-19 has impacted all areas—urban and rural. The rural areas have seen devastating effects of the pandemic with contributing factors such as under-resourced health systems, disproportionate rates of poverty...

This episode features a discussion with PCOM's chair of school psychology, Jessica Kendorski, PhD. The fight against COVID-19 has drastically affected how students around the country will be receiving their education this fall. Dr. Kendorski gives guidance for parents as they determine the best plans for their family and what they can do to support their children's mental health as they return to...

Along with social distancing, hand sanitizing and wearing a mask, the development of a vaccine is seen as the foremost way to combat COVID-19, a global pandemic with far-reaching effects. Currently, there is a race taking place among researchers and laboratories to develop a vaccine to immunize citizens of the world against this novel coronavirus. PCOM Georgia faculty members discuss with PCOM Pre...

This episode features a discussion with PCOM students Hiral Patel (DO ‘22), PCOM Georgia, and Gabi Yankelevich (DO ‘21). Looking for ways to support their communities as the COVID-19 crisis deepened, Hiral and Gabi gathered with classmates and decided to organize and make a difference. In Suwanee, Hiral and others established a student-run service offering grocery shopping to local residents. In P...

This episode features a discussion with Dr. Erik Polan, assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, PCOM Transitional Year Program Director, and core faculty for PCOM Internal Medicine residency. Most recently, Dr. Polan has been working on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19 with internal medicine residents at Roxborough Memorial Hospital . Our discussion explored what l...

This episode marks February as American Heart Month and features a discussion with Cathy Hatcher, PhD associate professor of neuroscience, physiology and pharmacology, on her research into the abnormal processes in cardiovascular development that can lead to congenital heart defects. Our conversation touched on the prevalence of those defects, the future of research in this area, and how students...

The January podcast, which features a discussion with Dr. Ruth Maher, a professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at PCOM Georgia, is now live. Professor Maher is a board-certified clinical specialist in women’s health from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Prior to joining academia, she owned and ran private physical therapy practices in Dublin, Ireland, and in the United...