Janai Groves has known from a young age that her purpose is to assist in healing others.
While working and volunteering in the medical field, she’s always yearned to learn
and do more, which is what led her to PCOM South Georgia’s biomedical sciences graduate program.
An Albany, Georgia native, Groves graduated from Westover High School then Georgia Southern University. What she had planned to be one gap year after receiving her undergraduate degree turned into four. During those years she took emergency medicine dual enrollment classes at Ogeechee Technical College and earned a certification as a medical assistant, ultimately working as a medical assistant in orthopedics for three years before enrolling at PCOM South Georgia.
“I discovered the program, quit my full-time job, and became a full-time student within six weeks,” she said. “While it was a tumultuous transition, it was the stepping stone I needed to fill the gap and lay the foundation for medical school. The key factor in choosing the biomedical sciences program was that the curriculum revolved around integration into professional school. Looking back, attending the same lectures as first-year medical students was an immersive learning experience that has boosted my confidence and assured me of a smoother transition to medical school.”
And that transition to medical school is only one month away as Groves will be joining the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program in August 2022.
“The dedication and persistence she has to meeting her goals are outstanding,” said Edward Shaw, PhD, director of the biomedical sciences program. “Janai is an example of stepping out, taking a chance and working hard with the chance she was given.”
During her time at PCOM South Georgia, Groves earned the Diversity Award, an award that recognizes a member of the graduating class who has made a unique contribution to create an environment of shared responsibility and ownership for diversity and inclusion at PCOM, as well as demonstrating emerging and sustained commitment thereto.
“I strive to inspire others who are passionate about medicine to pursue it, regardless of limited resources or other limitations,” she said. “I chose PCOM South Georgia because it allowed me the opportunity to cultivate growth in my community before moving on to my next journey.”
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