Adam Laudenslager, a member of the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) class of 2025, is also a member of another group on campus: he is on the flag football team. As we honor the College's 125th anniversary year, we reflect on the legacy of athletics at PCOM—and celebrate the opportunities for student engagement in extracurricular activities that exist on campus today.
In the photo on the left, originally published on the cover of the Spring 1987 issue of Digest Magazine, co-captain of the then rugby team, Patrick Hanley, DO '89, holds a rugby ball while displaying some of his wounds earned on the pitch. In the photo on the right, Laudenslager is posed in 2024 with a football and his white coat.
Comparing the two photos, Laudenslager remarked that the 1987 photo evokes “PCOM's rich history of more than just teaching medicine, it showcases the extracurricular activities that many students participate in.”
Student athletics have been an integral part of life at PCOM since 1910, when the campus had teams in track, swimming, fencing, hockey, baseball and basketball. In the fall of 1974, the men's rugby team was established. During its inaugural year, the team, consisting of 40 students, competed against opponents such as Temple Medical School, Villanova Law School, and St. Joseph's College. The rugby team also occasionally traveled internationally to compete against other collegiate teams and was frequently honored at the annual PCOM Sports Banquet.
As an athlete and current student, Laudenslager said that being a part of the flag football team has been a valuable experience for him, and that it has made a positive impact on his journey to becoming a clinician.
“I have been playing team sports for most of my life, so being able to have that option during my free time in medical school was really important to me,” he said. “It helps incorporate teamwork, communication skills, and helps build confidence. Additionally, it allowed me to meet a lot of new people. I think people skills are incredibly important in being a physician, and flag football or other intramural sports allows a lot of our students to practice social skills while also getting active.”
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