Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Former names	Philadelphia College and Infirmary of Osteopathy
Motto	"Mens et Manus"
Motto in English	The Mind and the Hand
Established	1899 (1899)
Type	Private coeducational
Endowment	$162.3 million[1]
Chancellor	Leonard Finkelstein, DO
President	Jay S. Feldstein, DO
Provost	Kenneth J. Veit, DO
Academic staff	129 full-time[2] 54 part-time
Students	2,418[3]
Location	Philadelphia, PA; Atlanta, GA, United States
Campus	Urban, 17 acres (Philadelphia) 20 acres (Georgia)
Colors	Burgundy and Gray
Affiliations	www.pcom.edu

The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) is a graduate college located in Philadelphia, in the US state Pennsylvania. PCOM is one of the oldest and largest osteopathic medical schools in the world. Founded in 1899, PCOM is home to over 1,800 students. PCOM offers degree programs in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, psychology, business (MBA), and forensic medicine. In 2005, PCOM opened a second campus in Suwanee, Georgia. PCOM also operates five primary care clinics, residency programs for physicians, and a Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging.

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.

History

For more than a century, PCOM has trained physicians, health practitioners, and behavioral scientists. In the United States, there are two types of physicians: DOs and MDs. Both are fully qualified physicians, licensed to prescribe medication and perform surgery. DOs and MDs are alike in many ways.

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine has trained over 13,000 physicians, with more than 11,000 alumni currently practicing throughout the United States and in five foreign countries.^[4] 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.

The Philadelphia College and Infirmary of Osteopathy (PCIO) was founded on January 24, 1899 by the Rev. Mason W. Pressly, D.O., and Oscar John Snyder, D.O. It was the third osteopathic medical school to open in the United States.^[5] In September 1899, the first PCIO degree was awarded, and in February 1900, the first PCIO "class," comprising one woman and one MD, graduated. PCIO was officially renamed to Philadelphia College of Osteopathy (PCO) in May 1921.^[6] PCO became the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) in May 1967.^[6]

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 and later named it 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. The Doctor of Psychology was started in 1995. In 2005 the school expanded to Georgia with a new branch campus, which graduated its first D.O. class in 2009.

Mission

PCOM is "dedicated to the education of students in medicine, health and behavioral sciences. The college fosters the growth of the osteopathic profession by training physicians through programs of study guided by osteopathic medical tradition, concept and practice."^[3]

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 (D.O.), Doctor of Pharmacy degree, and graduate programs in biomedical sciences.

Academic Offerings

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/Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular and Cell Biology (DO/PhD)
• DO/Master of Business Administration (DO/MBA)
• DO/Master of Public Health (DO/MPH)
• DO/Master of Science/Doctor of Philosophy in Health Policy (DO/MS/PhD)
• DO/Master of Science in Forensic Medicine (DO/MS)
• DO/Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (DO/MS)
• DO/Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership (DO/MS)
• DO/Master of Arts in Healthcare Ethics (DO/MA)

Physician Assistant Studies

• Master of Science in Health Sciences (MS)

Biomedical Sciences

• Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MS)
• Certificate of Graduate Study in Biomedical Sciences (Certificate)

Forensic Medicine

• Master of Science in Forensic Medicine (MS)
• Pathway Program in Forensic Medicine

Clinical Psychology

• Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD)
• Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling (MS)
• Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS)
• Postdoctoral Certificates in Clinical Health Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology

School Psychology

• Doctor of Psychology in School Psychology (PsyD)
• Educational Specialist Degree in School Psychology (EdS)
• Master of Science in School Psychology (MS)

Organizational Development and Leadership

• Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership (MS)

Georgia Campus

GA - PCOM Osteopathic Medicine

• Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
• DO/Master of Business Administration (DO/MBA)

PCOM School of Pharmacy - Georgia Campus

• Doctor of Pharmacy(PharmD)

GA - PCOM Biomedical Sciences

• Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MS)
• Certificate of Graduate Study in Biomedical Sciences (Certificate)

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@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.^[7]
• American Osteopathic Association (AOA)^[8]
• American Psychological Association^[9]
• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education
• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools^[10]

PCOM Healthcare Centers

In addition to its affiliation with several teaching hospitals, PCOM runs five primary care healthcare centers including: Sullivan County Medical Center,^[11] Roxborough Healthcare Center,^[12] Cambria Street Healthcare Center,^[13] Lancaster Avenue Healthcare Center,^[14] and Family Practice at PCOM.^[15] 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.^[16] 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

• Ethel D. Allen, D.O., an African-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.
• Joseph Gambone, DO, MPH,^[17] author of Essentials of Obstetrics and Gynecology.^[18] Gambone Peak on Antarctica was named in his honor in 1970.^[19][20][21]
• Joe Heck, D.O. is the U.S. Representative for Nevada’s 3rd congressional district and is a member of the Republican Party.^[22]
• Robert Hostoffer, D.O.
• Harold Marion Osborn D.O., a U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist in track.
• W. Kenneth Riland, D.O., physician for Richard M. Nixon and 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.

See also

• Medical schools in Pennsylvania

References