As the College celebrates its 125th anniversary, Andrea Mann, DO, FAAP, dean and chief academic officer of PCOM Georgia's osteopathic medicine program, has been reflecting on community partnerships and their fundamental importance to the success of the institution.
The “before” photo above flashes back to April 1990 when cyclists from the metro-Philadelphia area, PCOM students, faculty, staff and then-President and CEO Leonard Finkelstein, DO '59 (center) partnered with the community for the “Wheels for Health” bike tour benefitting Osteopathic Hospital. In summer 2023, Dr. Mann demonstrated PCOM Georgia's continued commitment to community partnerships during the Button Down Dash 5K event in Suwanee, GA.
“The mission of PCOM Georgia is to recruit students from Georgia, train in Georgia, and keep them in Georgia to help reduce the physician shortage in our state. Being in the community gives us the ability to teach people about PCOM and osteopathic medicine. It shows our future students that there is an extraordinary option for medical school right in their backyard,” Dr. Mann said.
“Our wonderfully diverse student body mirrors the young people in our community; our students are role models to children who aspire to be physicians,” she added. “Through the Community Wellness Initiative (CWI), we have the opportunity to screen for and educate about hypertension and diabetes. Community health and whole-person wellness is a priority for PCOM Georgia.”
Reflecting on past partnerships between PCOM and the community that it serves, Dr. Mann said, “For our communities to flourish, we have to work together to support the people and organizations within them. PCOM has always been an integral part of its community.”
Dr. Mann hopes to continue to nurture existing partners and continually work to develop new partners into the future. “I am determined to make PCOM Georgia a household name in our region,” she said.
Being present in the community is an opportunity for Dr. Mann to spread the word about osteopathic medicine, and participating in events like the 5K race pictured here sets an example for her students. “I am proud to be a DO, and I believe the dean must be actively and enthusiastic about our institution and the work we do at PCOM Georgia,” she said. “As osteopathic physicians, we focus on caring for the whole patient: mind, body, and spirit. Many physicians tend to forget that to take care of others; they need to take care of themselves.”
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