The inaugural class of 19 students has been influential to the program's success at the Georgia campus.
The inaugural class of Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM) physician assistant (PA) studies students will graduate from the Infinite Energy Forum on Tuesday, July 31 at 11 a.m.
Department of Physician Assistant Studies Georgia Campus Site Director and Assistant Program Director Rebekah Thomas, PharmD, PA-C, said, "These 19 students were much anticipated and carefully selected. They have been vital contributors to the Georgia campus who have enjoyed a successful start with many more good years to follow."
Brian Maloney, MD, FACS, an educator, internationally recognized facial plastic surgeon and founder of The Maloney Center for Facial Plastic Surgery in Atlanta, will deliver the commencement address. He contributes to the GA-PCOM program by serving as a clinical lecturer. His daughter, Meghan Maloney, is a 2016 physician assistant graduate who received her degree from the Philadelphia campus. Department chair Laura Levy, DHSC, PA-C, said the connection is a “way to tie the physician assistant programs together on both campuses.”
The 19 graduates join the ranks of PCOM’s nearly 1,000 physician assistant alumni who practice across the nation. This year, the incoming class size in Georgia was increased to 26 physician assistant studies students.
Graduates and guests are invited to a 6 p.m. awards dinner on Monday prior to graduation. The Provost’s Award and the Clinical Achievement Award will be presented to two of the graduates.
Begun in Georgia in 2016, the 26-month physician assistant studies program consists of 14 months of classroom instruction followed by 12 months of clinical rotations in multiple medical disciplines. The PA program has received Accreditation-Continued status by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant.
PCOM Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
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