PCOM Perspectives

The latest episode of PCOM Perspectives—our podcast exploring news, events, research, and other topics impacting our campuses and communities through the PCOM lens—is now live. For this episode, I talked with Alicia Hahn, director of Program Initiatives for the Office of Diversity and Community Relations, about the annual Opportunities Academy, a weeklong enrichment program for local high school students at each of PCOM’s three locations. Alicia discusses the history and learning objectives of Opportunities Academy, how the program emphasizes mentoring and college readiness, and how PCOM student-mentors and faculty gain just as much out of the experience as the participants.

For this episode, I sat down with Marla Golden, DO, MS, FACEP, dean of osteopathic medicine at PCOM South Georgia. During our conversation, Dr. Golden and I talk about what makes South Georgia, and specifically Moultrie, such an ideal location for our PCOM campus. She also shares plans for enabling PCOM South Georgia to reach out into the communities it serves.

For this episode, I sat down with Daryl Crenshaw, MD, FACP, FASN, FASH, an adjunct faculty member at PCOM South Georgia, a practicing nephrologist, and an avid supporter of medical education. Dr. Crenshaw and I discuss kidney concerns impacting Georgia’s population and how the new technology he is working on can help identify patients likely to develop kidney failure.

For this episode, I sat down with Peter Bidey, DO, MSEd, the newly-appointed dean of the Osteopathic Medicine program. Succeeding the College’s longest-tenured dean, Dr. Bidey and I discuss the history and responsibility of his new role; his vision for the program and what he hopes to achieve as dean; and how we can continue to keep important issues like diversity and mental health at the forefront of our students’ educational experience. And, of course, from one Philly native to another, we discuss our favorite Philadelphia traditions. Dr. Bidey assumes his new leadership role at an exciting, but challenging precipice for the College. As we approach our 125th Anniversary, Dr. Bidey’s leadership and vision for the program will guide us into the next 125 years, and I look forward to working closely with him to develop the next generation of osteopathic physicians.

For this episode, I was joined by Art Sesso, DO ‘81, interim dean of the doctor of osteopathic medicine program at PCOM and senior associate dean of osteopathic curricula innovation and accountability. Dr. Sesso and I discuss how, under his leadership, PCOM is responding to a rapidly evolving health landscape through the development of the first-in-the-nation Medical Education Center of Excellence (MECOE). This innovative approach to medical education strengthens our ability to train the next generation of osteopathic physicians and ensures our students are prepared to enter the next phase of their careers after graduation. Through the work of Dr. Sesso and others, PCOM is set up to compete well into the future. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

The latest episode of PCOM Perspectives, our podcast exploring news and events on campus and news of the day through the PCOM lens, is now live. This episode features a discussion with Jim Matney, CEO of Colquitt Regional Medical Center in Moultrie. Mr. Matney has been an advocate and supporter of PCOM’s expansion into South Georgia since it was merely a concept. And since PCOM South Georgia began its first academic year in 2019, Mr. Matney has encouraged local community organizations and government agencies to support the mission of PCOM South Georgia. Now, in our fourth academic year in South Georgia, many of our medical students are completing their clinical clerkships at Colquitt Regional, and a handful of PCOM Georgia graduates have completed or are completing their residencies at the hospital’s Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program. During this episode, we discuss the changes that we’ve seen in Southwest Georgia’s healthcare landscape over the last five years, what we hope to see in the future and how our partnerships are benefiting the region.

This episode features a discussion with PCOM leaders Joanne Jones and Alisa Toney about the importance of being involved in the communities in which we live, work and play. Joanne, the Chief of Campus Operations at PCOM South Georgia, serves as the chair of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce. Alisa, the Senior Director of Development at PCOM, is the chair of the Leadership Gwinnett Foundation Board of Directors. In addition, she serves on the Northside Gwinnett Women’ Leadership Council and on the board of the Sara J. Gonzalez Memorial Park in Atlanta. During our discussion, we talked about the steps it takes to be entrusted with community leadership opportunities and how positions like these benefit both the volunteer and the College. We also discussed how the College supports our PCOM family who volunteer in their communities through the President’s Community Wellness Initiative. And I shared about some of the leadership positions I have enjoyed through the years beginning with my students days. Our students, faculty and staff members have so much to offer our communities and I appreciate and applaud your efforts. As Margaret Mead so famously said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”