PCOM Georgia Graduates 246 Physicians, Pharmacists and Physical Therapists

SUWANEE, Ga., June 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, May 27, 2021, 246 PCOM Georgia educated physicians, pharmacists and physical therapists graduated from the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Georgia, with their loved ones cheering them on.  

The Class of 2021 includes 130 Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine graduates, 83 Doctor of Pharmacy graduates, and 33 Doctor of Physical Therapy graduates. The physical therapy students make up the first class to graduate from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine's physical therapy program that began in 2018.

From the stage in the outdoor amphitheater, PCOM President Jay S. Feldstein, DO, addressed the graduates who were wearing academic hoods in varying shades of green to distinguish their programs. He said, "You were—and will continue to be—on the front lines: treating and caring for patients in the holistic manner that is part of your osteopathic heritage. You will call out social injustice when you see it—because you witnessed it, because you lived it—and you will advocate for your patients because they will need you like never before."

"I have never been more proud of a class of students. Go forth and make use of your gifts for the betterment of the world!"

Three speakers, who were awarded honorary doctoral degrees, addressed the socially distanced graduates and their family members. They included Richard H. Jadick, DO, who is considered the most decorated physician to serve in the Iraq War; Christy M. Norman, PharmD, the president-elect of the Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and Phillip B. Palmer, PT, PhD, the founding PCOM Georgia Department of Physical Therapy professor and chair.

Dr. Jadick encouraged the graduates to "put your mark on the art of medicine." Noting that there are upsides to loss, Dr. Norman remarked, "The pandemic created a crisis that required us all to adapt and evolve in ways that otherwise may have taken years or decades or potentially lifetimes to occur." Dr. Palmer said, "You did it because we worked together, you used the tools provided appropriately, and you never lost sight of the dream…Go out and change your world!"

Established in 2005, PCOM Georgia is a private, not-for-profit, accredited institute of higher education dedicated to the healthcare professions. PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, and physical therapy and graduate degrees in biomedical sciences and physician assistant studies. Emphasizing "a whole person approach to care," PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the wider community.

SOURCE Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

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