11th and 12th graders were introduced to health careers by participating in dissection, anatomy and healthy living activities.
Twelve 11th and 12th graders from Bainbridge, Georgia, participated in a Health Career Collaborative recently at Bainbridge High School. Area physicians, Winston Price, MD, and Charles Stafford, MD, along with Jeannette Grimsley, student services program director with the Decatur County School District, worked with faculty, students and staff from PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie and PCOM Georgia in Suwanee to facilitate the program.
Dr. Stafford advised the high school students. “The major problems of our time cannot be solved alone. Collective action is needed and it’s needed now.”
During one session, faculty advisor Adwoa Aduonum, PhD, MSc, associate professor of neuroscience, physiology and pharmacology at PCOM Georgia, conducted a sheep brain dissection exercise and encouraged the students to examine the brain and all of its lobes as she explained the various functions.
“Put your gloves on, pick it up, turn it around and tell me five things about the sheep brain,” she said.
Tan, squishy, lightweight, cold, tough, hard and moist were some of the words students used to describe the small, but important oval organ. Dr. Aduonum also touched on how drugs especially methadone, affect the brain, and discussed diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis.
The aim of the one-week introductory program was to provide high school students with mentorship, engagement and exposure to health careers. Some of the other activities included learning about emergency department cases, participating in healthy living activities, practicing clinical and pharmacy skills, and learning more about anatomy.
In addition, a PCOM Georgia student and a recent graduate served as mentors and facilitators for the program including Kala Hurst (DO ’22) and Ekuase Ogunbor, MS/Biomed ’19.
PCOM’s Director of Diversity and Community Partnerships Aisha DeBerry, JD, said, “The Health Career Collaborative will surely impact the South Georgia region through relationships between area high schools and those in the healthcare community.”
In 2019, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a premier osteopathic medical school with a storied 125-year history, extended its commitment to the Southeast by establishing PCOM South Georgia. An additional teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia, PCOM South Georgia offers both a full, four-year medical program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences. PCOM is a private, not-for-profit institution that trains professionals in the health and behavioral sciences fields. Joining PCOM Georgia in Suwanee in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state, PCOM South Georgia focuses on educating physicians for the region. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 229-668-3110.
Cindy B. Montgomery
Public Relations and Social Media Manager
Email: cindymo@pcom.edu
Office: 229-668-3198 | Cell: 229-873-2003
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