After walking the stage on July 25 to receive her biomedical sciences graduate degree, Teighlor Livingston (MS/BS ‘22) will have only a few short weeks to rest before
joining the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program in August.
During her time in the graduate program, Livingston completed research at a nearby institution, served as the class chair and ultimately earned the Dean’s Award, which recognizes the student who attains the highest scholastic average in the class.
“Teighlor has been extremely involved as an ambassador, a student researcher and a leader,” Ed Shaw, PhD, director of the biomedical sciences program, said. “Her willingness to reach out and be collaborative with her classmates is exactly what I wanted to see in the biomedical sciences program.”
Livingston said she chose to pursue the graduate degree to familiarize herself with the content and rigors of medical school while working her way through the medical school application process.
“The unique curriculum and opportunity to take classes within the DO program made it an easy decision to matriculate into the biomedical sciences program,” she said. “I specifically chose the research concentration in order to continue my lung cancer research at Valdosta State University while preparing for medical school.”
Coming from the nearby small, rural town of Lakeland, Georgia, Livingston has seen first-hand the need for physicians in the region.
“I decided that I wanted to go into health care after working in a medical clinic and seeing first-hand what it is like to be a physician,” she said. “It was amazing to see patients’ progress and extremely rewarding to have a part in their treatment. I knew then that I wanted to be that person — someone to listen, diagnose, treat, and ultimately, see a patient get better.”
She continued, “I aspire to be a respected and empathetic physician who advocates for healthcare to promote better outcomes for patients, and I would eventually like to open my own practice and employ other qualified physicians in the South Georgia region.”
Livingston said one of the primary reasons she chose PCOM South Georgia is because of the location near her hometown.
“I have lived in South Georgia my whole life, and was excited to see PCOM open a new location close to home,” she said. “When I first visited campus, I immediately felt welcomed by faculty, staff, and students. The welcoming environment solidified my decision to attend!”
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