The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) is a private, non-profit graduate college, with a main campus located on 17 acres in Philadelphia, in the US state Pennsylvania, and an additional campus located on 20 acres in Suwanee, Georgia. PCOM offers degree programs in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, psychology, physician assistant studies, and forensic medicine. With 2,418 students (2014-15), PCOM is one of the oldest and largest osteopathic medical schools in the world.
Founded in 1899 as the third osteopathic medical school in the world, PCOM was the first osteopathic medical school in the northeastern United States. In 1993, PCOM began offering a master's degree in biomedical sciences, and in 1995 started a doctorate in clinical psychology (PsyD). In 2005, PCOM opened a second campus in Suwanee, Georgia. PCOM also operates five primary care health centers in cooperation with several teaching hospitals. PCOM sponsors residency training programs, which train newly graduated physicians. The Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging, which aims to improve quality of life for elderly individuals, is located on the Philadelphia campus.
All of the programs at PCOM have professional accreditation. PCOM is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association.
Video Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
History
PCOM was established on January 24, 1899 as the Philadelphia College and Infirmary of Osteopathy (PCIO). It was the third osteopathic medical school to open in the United States. In September 1899, the first PCIO degree was awarded, and in February 1900, the first PCIO "class," comprising one woman and one MD, graduated. In May 1921, PCIO was renamed to Philadelphia College of Osteopathy (PCO). In 1967, the school adopted its present-day name, becoming the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM).
In 1973, PCOM opened a new building, Evans Hall, and relocated to its current campus along City Avenue in Philadelphia. In 1979, PCOM acquired the adjacent office building, which was later named Rowland Hall in honor of PCOM's 4th President. From 1995-1999, Evans Hall expanded to include a modern osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) lab, more classrooms, a new cafeteria, and the office of admissions.
During the 1990s a series of new graduate level programs were added, expanding the scope of the medical school to a wide range of health-care related programs. In 1993, PCOM started the graduate program in biomedical science, offering graduate certificates and Master of Science degrees. In 1995, a Doctor of Psychology program was established. In 2005, the school opened a branch campus in Georgia, which graduated its first DO class in 2009.
For more than a century, PCOM has trained physicians, health practitioners, and behavioral scientists. In the United States, there are two types of physicians: DO physicians and MD physicians. Both are fully qualified physicians, licensed to prescribe medication and perform surgery. DOs and MDs are alike in many ways.
Maps Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Academics
As a free-standing medical school, PCOM offers only graduate-level training. Degrees offered by the college include:
Philadelphia Campus
- Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
- DO/Master of Business Administration (DO/MBA)
- DO/Master of Public Health (DO/MPH)
- DO/Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling (DO/MS)
- DO/Master of Science/PhD in Health Policy (DO/MS/PhD)
- DO/Master of Science in Forensic Medicine (DO/MS)
- Clinical Masters (MSc)
- DO/Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership (DO/MS)
- DO/Business Certificate (DO)
- DO/PhD in Molecular Biology (DO/PhD)
- Physician Assistant Studies
- MS in Health Sciences - Physician Assistant Studies (MS)
- Biomedical Sciences
- MS in Biomedical Sciences (MS)
- Forensic Medicine
- MS in Forensic Medicine (MS)
- Psychology
- Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD)
- School Psychology (PsyD, EdS, MS)
- Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling (MS)
- Master of Science in Counseling and Clinical Health Psychology (MS)
- Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership (MS)
- Master of Science in Aging and Long-term Care Administration (MS)
- Master of Science in Public Health Management and Administration (MS)
- Certificates of Graduate Studies and Certificates of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS/CGS)
- Postdoctoral Certificates in Clinical Health Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology
Georgia Campus
- Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
- Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
- PCOM School of Pharmacy - Georgia Campus
- Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
- Biomedical Sciences
- Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MS)
- Physician Assistant Studies
- Master of Science in Health Sciences - Physician Assistant Studies (MS)
Campuses
PCOM operates two campuses; one campus is located in Philadelphia and one is near Atlanta, Georgia. The Philadelphia campus is 17 acres, and the Georgia campus is 20 acres.
In 2005, PCOM-Georgia enrolled its first class of osteopathic medical students. The Georgia Campus currently offers the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (DO), Doctor of Pharmacy degree, and graduate programs in biomedical sciences and physician assistant studies.
PCOM Library
The PCOM Library provides information resources to support the educational, research and clinical activities of the College. The mission of the library is twofold: to provide users with access to a wide range of quality information resources and to assist users in acquiring the skills necessary to use resources effectively.
Electronic collections includes bibliographic databases and indexes, textbooks and monographs, full-text research and clinical journals, streaming videos, mobile applications, and catalogs of local, regional and national biomedical collections.
Library staff assists students, faculty, and staff in acquiring and using information by providing educational and reference services. Every academic program is served by dedicated liaison librarians who create subject guides targeted to courses and research topics, help students and faculty find books, retrieve articles, and effectively search and manage information resources.
The library is also responsible for the creation of the College's institutional repository, the Digital Commons at PCOM. The Digital Commons preserves and disseminates the history of the College, records of College life, and the intellectual output of students, faculty, and staff in the form of dissertations, papers, and posters.
Accreditation
- Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc.
- American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
- American Psychological Association
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Healthcare centers
In addition to its affiliation with several teaching hospitals, PCOM runs five primary care healthcare centers including: Sullivan County Medical Center, Roxborough Healthcare Center, Cambria Street Healthcare Center, Lancaster Avenue Healthcare Center, and Family Practice at PCOM. The clinics serve the dual purpose of providing community-based health care as well as providing educational experiences for medical students. Services include family medicine, gynecology, dermatology, geriatrics, psychology, and OMM.
Residency program
PCOM programs include a multi-hospital integrated approach. The total position numbers can vary with program directors' plans and implementation time frame.
- Family Medicine
- General Surgery
- Geriatrics
- Internal Medicine
- Neurosurgery
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Plastic Reconstructive Surgery
Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging
The mission of the Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging (CCDA) at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine is to improve the quality of life for all individuals suffering from age-related chronic diseases and disorders. The CCDA promotes a better understanding of the nature of chronic disease processes by supporting basic and applied investigations, and providing educational opportunities for the community, scientists and health care professionals. The CCDA furthers its mission through an interdisciplinary approach combining scientific research, education, and clinical application into chronic diseases and disorders associated with the aging process.
Notable alumni
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine has trained 12,941 physicians, with 2,467 non-physician alumni. PCOM alumni practice in all areas of medicine, hold leadership positions in the medical community, teach in many of the country's top medical schools, and serve in every branch of the military.
- Ethel D. Allen, D.O., an American Republican politician.
- Bo Bartlett, an American realist painter.
- Ronald R. Blanck, D.O., the first and only osteopathic physician ever appointed Surgeon General of the US Army.
- Ira W. Drew, D.O., a Democratic politician in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- Ted Eisenberg, D.O., the Guinness World Record holder for most breast augmentation surgeries performed.
- Steven Eisenberg, D.O., known as "The Singing Cancer Doctor."
- Joseph Gambone, DO, MPH, author of Essentials of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Gambone Peak on Antarctica was named in his honor in 1970.
- Joe Heck, D.O. is the U.S. Representative for Nevada's 3rd congressional district and is a member of the Republican Party.
- Harold Marion Osborn D.O., a U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist in track.
- W. Kenneth Riland, D.O., physician for President Richard M. Nixon and New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, and cofounder of the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine.
- Charles Sophy, D.O., psychiatrist, Medical Director for the LA Dept of Children and Family Services, and author of several books.
- Serennah Harding, D.O., LT MC USN, graduated from the Georgia Campus in 2013 as the youngest DO in the United States. She was also the first female Officer in ground combat artillery unit MCBH Kaneohe.
- Sue Baily, DO - former administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Mitchel Storey, DO - clinic chief at the University of Washington, and team physician for The Seattle Mariners since 1985.
- Jay Bhatt, DO, MPH - Chief Medical Officer and President and CEO of the Health Research and Educational Trust of the American Hospital Association.
- Dr. Umar Johnson, PsyD - author, speaker, and self described Prince of Pan-Africanism, and seen in part 1 of the ongoing documentary filmseries Hidden Colors
See also
- Medical schools in Pennsylvania
References
External links
- Digital Commons at PCOM
- Official PCOM website
- PCOM Library on the Internet Archive
Source of the article : Wikipedia