Medical Education at PCOM: A Holistic Approach to Health Care
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Medical Education at PCOM: A Holistic Approach to Health Care


September 16, 2022

With a focus on preventative care, PCOM graduates are prepared to serve in all areas of medicine and treat every patient’s symptoms as uniquely as the patients themselves.

According to Meghna Patel, DO, MPH, FAAP, FACOP, an assistant professor in PCOM’s Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM), the osteopathic philosophy is a thread woven through all aspects of PCOM.

PCOM’s curriculum includes the Atlas of Osteopathic Techniques, the standard textbook across all colleges of osteopathic medicine, written by Dr. Alexander Nicholas, PCOM OMM department chair, and Dr. Evan Nicholas, a former associate professor of OMM.

Three PCOM medical students in white coats walk towards the Philadelphia campus central courtyard.Andrew Levin, DO, an assistant professor of OMM at PCOM’s main campus in Philadelphia, explained PCOM students are “doctors from day one” and experience opportunities special to osteopathic medical students.

“Students will receive 200 hours of training in our osteopathic manipulative medicine lab, or OMM, to practice diagnosing and treating peers using osteopathic manipulative therapy techniques, or OMT,” Levin said. “PCOM students also gain clinical experience in working with our standardized patient actors and patient simulators in our simulation centers among the three campuses.”

Students go on to pursue residency training in all specialties of medicine from primary care all the way to neurosurgery. Students also gain interdisciplinary experience while working with students in other graduate programs on campus.

“We are proud of the diverse academic and professional backgrounds among our OMM faculty,” Shah said. “This diversity allows for various perspectives and integration of osteopathic principles into many different medical fields.”

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These fields include family medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, integrative medicine, pediatrics, pain medicine and acupuncture.

Shah added, “At PCOM, you are more than a student—you are a vital member of the community who will serve on the frontlines of health.”

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